Hasta La Gadget!

Motorola‘s been making good with Verizon as of late, and according to the Wall Street Journal, the two just signed a deal to “ensure some of its upcoming smartphones will be heavily promoted” by the carrier.” The article goes on to say that Motorola is planning to launch a pair of such devices on VZW this year, with the obvious platform choice being Android for both. Our best guess would be the 4.1-inch Shadow / MB810 for one, but as for the smartphone? No clue. Even with great choices like the Incredible and EVO 4G on the market, like we said on last week’s Engadget Show, there’s never been a better time to wait on a new mobile purchase. Better yet, does this mean we can finally start retiring the original Droid from television? Thanks.

Motorola to launch two smartphones on Verizon in July, says WSJ originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 May 2010 21:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Looking for a cheap Android tablet that’s neither KIRF nor vaporware? You could do worse than the $199 Archos 7 Home Tablet, now shipping from Amazon a full week ahead of its “early June” release window. For three Benjamins less than that other slate, you’ll get a thin, spacious device that serves as an excellent media player, coupled with a sub-par Android 1.5 experience and a resistive touchscreen. If the lack of Android Market isn’t a dealbreaker, you can slap down your bills right after the break, but we’d recommend reading through our full review to see it in action (complete with video) and find out exactly what you’re getting yourself into.

Archos 7 Home Tablet now shipping, days ahead of schedule originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 May 2010 01:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink DAP Review  |  Amazon  | Email this | Comments

Hearing Google say that Android 2.2 would be filtering out to the Nexus One in short order was no huge shock — after all, it’s Google’s first smartphone. But for those who purchased Motorola’s first heavy-hitter since the RAZR, it looks as if they’ll be close behind in enjoying the spoils. According to a Motorola spokesperson quoted at Slashgear (full statement is past the break), the company is expecting the original Droid to get Android 2.2 “in the near future,” though he / she wouldn’t go so far as to provide specifics beyond that. Better still, the same person stated that Motorola is excited about Froyo in general, and it’s “looking forward to integrating it on [the firm’s] Android-based devices as [the software] is made available.” We hate to read too deeply into anything, but “devices” sure gets our digits tingling.

[Thanks, Alex]

Continue reading Motorola expects Android 2.2 update to hit Droid ‘in the near future’

Motorola expects Android 2.2 update to hit Droid ‘in the near future’ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 May 2010 05:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Slashgear  | Email this | Comments

As of last month, there were still no solid plans to ever bring HP Compaq’s Airlife 100 smartbook to US soil, and judging by the first reviews surfacing across the pond, the company should probably consider keeping it that way. In a land already saturated with increasingly powerful netbooks, highly capable smartphones and a blossoming selection of tablets, the actual need for a so-called smartbook is questionable at best. For those still interested in paying near-netbook prices for this (on contract with a carrier, no less), you should probably first take a gander at the reviews linked below. Put simply, the Airlife 100 just wasn’t a contender, and it had issues handling basic tasks like playing back HD videos and loading the full Gmail experience. ‘Course, Android 1.6 is looking severely dated right about now, so we can’t say we’re shocked to hear so much negativity. The design itself was universally praised, but when you can snag a Crystal HD-equipped netbook (sans a data plan agreement, to boot) for just a few Euros more, it’s hard to justify locking yourself into something far less intelligent.

Continue reading HP Compaq Airlife 100 review roundup: a little too dumb for a smartbook

HP Compaq Airlife 100 review roundup: a little too dumb for a smartbook originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 May 2010 17:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Engadget Spanish, CarryPad [1], [2]  | Email this | Comments

Dashing away from the Google I/O keynote as fast as our feet would carry us, we scored the very first look at Logitech’s Google TV companion box. While we’ll share full details when we catch a breath, here’s the scoop: the box extends the full functionality of a Logitech Harmony remote and a WiFi access point to your TV, providing not only Google TV but also allowing you to control your entire entertainment system (including DVR) with a still-in-development keyboard / touchpad remote or an iPhone or Android smartphone app over WiFi. Hit the gallery below for a taste of what the little set-top box can do, and rest assured we’ve got more info on the way.

Update: Now with video, after the break.

Update 2: Details and specs after the break, too.

Continue reading Logitech’s Google TV companion box includes smartphone apps, we go eyes-on (updated: video!)

Logitech’s Google TV companion box includes smartphone apps, we go eyes-on (updated: video!) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 May 2010 16:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments