Hasta La Gadget!

Thought the Boxee Box was the only turncoat at IDF 2010? You thought wrong — OpenPeak’s Moorestown-based tablet has dropped Linux (and Flash) cold turkey for a nice big helping of Android. The unit in front of you runs Android 2.1, but reps told us it’ll have Froyo by launch, which just so happens to be currently slated for the first quarter of next year. OpenPeak says AT&T made the decision to move to Google’s OS, and will shape the final hardware too, as the tablet manufacturer repeatedly reminded us it builds devices to its clients’ specification. As you can see, that hardware has already changed slightly since the last time we saw it run, with not only buttons that reflect its changed allegiance but also a ZigBee radio inside. The 7-inch capacitive touch screen, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G and 5 megapixel camera remain intact, though we couldn’t confirm the Moorestown chip is still clocked at 1.9GHz. That said, stock Android UI interactions were about as fast and responsive as we’ve seen. There’s no Android Market or Google Apps on the device quite yet, though the company’s still promising a custom UI layer as far as software goes — presently it’s testing a multi-user profile system that changes the available apps and background wallpaper when a user enters their pin. We’ve still no official word on price, though a rep guessed it might arrive at between $300 and $400, and subsidized on contract. It’s an interesting time to bring an Android tablet to market, and this is one to watch.

OpenPeak’s OpenTablet 7 sails towards a Q1 2011 AT&T launch with Android 2.2 on board originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 12:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well, it’s about time! Excuse our impatience / excitement, but we’ve been hearing about MSI’s 3D all-in-one since March, and the company’s finally done putting the finishing touches on it. While MSI’s claiming it’s the “world’s first 3D all-in-one,” the Wind Top AE2420 3D isn’t just another 3D display that comes with active shutter glasses — though it does have those features and in unison they do a mighty good job of displaying high def, three-dee video and images. But beyond all that, the company’s gone and packed the back of the 24-inch, 120Hz LED panel with a Core i7 870s processor, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5730 graphics, 4GB of RAM, and a terabyte of storage. And that’s not all… amongst other things, the right and left edges are home to a USB 3.0 port and Blu-Ray drive. Oh yes, it’s one monster of a machine, but it’s gonna cost ya: MSI says the system will come in at $1,800 at most e-tailers, though there may be some other configurations. Still, the swirly design, touchscreen and THX speakers make it a rather luring family or living room PC. Either way, we’re just happy this thing’s finally arrived — hit the break for the full press release as well as the gallery below for some pictures of the rig and MSI’s rather hefty glasses.

Continue reading MSI’s Wind Top AE2420 3D hits US shores for $1,800, Blu-ray and glasses included

MSI’s Wind Top AE2420 3D hits US shores for $1,800, Blu-ray and glasses included originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So the C7 might be the sexiest Symbian^3 device… but the C6-01, well, it just may be the cutest. Just all depends on what you’re looking for (and how much you’re willing to spend), you know? Like the C7, we had a little difficulty getting screen swipes to register while trying to change home screens, but considering that the top of the bezel had the very prototypish “C0” mystery name badge, we’re more than happy to cut it a little slack. Having come directly from the C7, it’s a little tricky to be comfortable with the smaller display — not to mention the thicker body — and the back definitely tends toward the cheap side with matte hard plastic, but again, this is clearly designed to be a budget device. And hey, how many budget smartphones can you think of with AMOLED displays that have extreme black levels? Check out the gallery for a few shots.

Continue reading Nokia C6-01 first hands-on

Nokia C6-01 first hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Sep 2010 05:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re still not quite sure why Intel decided to forego mentioning the product name in this morning’s keynote, but that Atom-based tablet with Wireless Display technology? That’s the ExoPC, according to the very people who make the device. We caught up with the company at IDF 2010 and checked out both an older version of the device and a near-production model — still a super-glossy glass screen with admittedly bad viewing angles, but we’ve been promised the final display will alleviates those problems. The unit we held was also a good bit lighter than before — 144 grams to be exact, according to the rep — and had a rubber matte feel to the back. The ExoPC is powered by Intel’s PineTrail — specifically the Atom N450, although Oak Trail is something the company’s looking into for the future. We won’t go into every detail of what we saw, as you can check out our preview from May for a more exhaustive (and still pretty accurate) look. We will say that the unit is still incredibly snappy (thanks in no small part to 2GB RAM and SanDisk SSD) and we’re still loving the ability to switch from Windows 7 to the very friendly “Connect Four” UI (our unofficial name for it). The keyboard is still Windows 7 standard, but we were told it’s reached out to multiple companies — including Swype — and is also looking to its developer community for greater support in the buildup to launch.

So, about that WiDi demo this morning… the company wouldn’t tell us the story behind that, only to say that it was an ExoPC in the demo, WiDi will be included eventually but no promises were made as to its inclusion at launch. It’s our understanding that the hardware wasn’t changed, implying the capabilities are already there or that all it takes is a software fix, but… we’ve also heard from Intel that WiDi is a hardware-based solution, so we’re still not quite sure what to make of everything. At any rate The company’s still targeting mid-October for its developer pre-orders and touting its Flash and Silverlight support, reminding us how easy it is to port from Windows Phone 7 to the device. We’ve got a video walkthrough coming later, but for now, check out some pics in the gallery below.

Continue reading ExoPC is Intel’s WiDi-enabled Atom tablet, we go hands-on with near-final build (update: video)

ExoPC is Intel’s WiDi-enabled Atom tablet, we go hands-on with near-final build (update: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 22:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The wait for the Boxee Box is nearly over — pre-orders begin today — but before you drop a stack of change on D-Link’s half-sunk cube, know that there’s no longer an NVIDIA Tegra 2 under that tiny hood. At the last minute, Boxee switched to the Intel Atom CE4100, the same up-to-1.2GHz Sodaville chip powering Google TV. That’s not all, as manufacturer D-Link told us our good friend Avner Ronen may not be able to keep his promise — though the company still expects the Box to hit the streets at under $200, we’re now looking at a $229 suggested retail price. What could possibly have happened to make these drastic changes? We visited Boxee in person to get an explanation, and you’ll find the surprisingly simple (yet NVIDIA-damning) answer right after the break.

Update: We just learned that Amazon will be selling it for $199, though the MSRP will remain $229.

Continue reading Boxee Box ditches NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 for Intel CE4100, pre-orders start today at $199

Boxee Box ditches NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 for Intel CE4100, pre-orders start today at $199 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 13 Sep 2010 10:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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