Hasta La Gadget!

Good news for Wildfire owners: fresh from HTC’s oven is its 3.0 desktop sync suite that — like the one baked for the Desire over the weekend — enables iTunes sync for the company’s latest budget device. Since we had a Wildfire on hand, we decided to go through the trouble to check out this new feature. And boy, it sure was a bumpy start. We had no problems with obtaining the software, but in order to get the “HTC Sync” option to appear in the USB connection menu, we had to switch on USB debugging mode (Settings -> Applications -> Development) before establishing our first link. As fiddly as it sounds, this was actually the only tricky part of the preparation, and you can leave debugging mode switched off afterwards.

So, how does the iTunes sync work? Well, it’s certainly nowhere as thrilling as Palm’s cheeky hack — it appears to simply access iTunes’ database and playlists for the file locations, rather than fooling iTunes into thinking your Wildfire’s an iDevice. You’ll also be limited to syncing either everything or just selected playlists (smart playlists supported), so in other words, you can’t sync by artists or genres, and you’ll have to set up a dedicated playlist for syncing podcasts. Apart from this minor flaw, we’d say this is still a pretty neat solution for an age-old problem, and hopefully HTC will offer a similar app for Mac users. Hands-on video after the break.

Continue reading HTC Sync 3.0 for Wildfire hands-on: iTunes sync tested (video)

HTC Sync 3.0 for Wildfire hands-on: iTunes sync tested (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink @htc_eu (Twitter)  |  HTC  | Email this | Comments

The Timbuk2 Superbad Backpack ($60 direct) has been designed, so that it “sits up in class even when you don’t.” This bag doesn’t feature popping colors, but its unique shape gives you an edge in unloading your gear. With a lightweight design and all the necessary pockets to boot, the Superbad should be considered as part of your back-to-school buys.

The Superbad weighs all of 1.91 pounds, making it one of the lightest backpacks I’ve reviewed. It has a very simple, no-frills design aesthetic that I appreciate. Timbuk2 has also taken time to focus on how the bag will be used among the school-faring crowd and how to make the backpack better. Rather than use a traditional design, Timbuk2 has made the Superbad a more rectangular, boxy form: If you were to stand it up next to your seat in class, it wouldn’t flop over. The bag is also designed to be loaded and unloaded from the top, so you can easily slip your laptop and books in and out with ease.

On the exterior of the bag, there are four pockets: one on the face of the bag, two zippered pockets on either side, and one open pouch for your water bottle. There’s also a “secret” pocket in the back of the bag that allows you to have quick access to your laptop computer compartment.

Check out this 14mm-thin contender: built by Pegatron and still at the prototype stage, the MasterPad looks to be the embodiment of Steve Ballmer’s incoming armada of desirable Windows 7 tablets. It sports an 11.6-inch IPS screen, which accommodates a 1,366 x 768 widescreen resolution, a 1.3 megapixel webcam plus mic, two USB ports, a memory card reader, an accelerometer, mini-HDMI port, 3G connectivity, and 32GB or 64GB SSD options. All that hi-tech goodness is wrapped up in a magnesium and aluminum alloy body, weighing 990 grams. There are some less cutting edge specs, like the disappointing 2-cell battery that will only get you 5 hours of use and the 1.66GHz Atom N450 CPU — but we’re being promised 1080p video playback and Flash compatibility are ready to roll, and our machine translation hints at an additional HD video-processing chip. The early hands-on experience seems to have left the Israeli journos impressed, and their homeland can expect the MasterPad to arrive “in the coming months,” with an Android version also in the works. See it on video after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading MasterPad prototype marries Windows 7 to 11.6-inch IPS screen (video)

MasterPad prototype marries Windows 7 to 11.6-inch IPS screen (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Aug 2010 06:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Ynet.co.il  | Email this | Comments

Swiss Army’s Trevi Laptop Brief ($259 direct) is a classy laptop bag for the business consumer. This bag can fit all your accessories, business materials and gadgets with no problem.

The16-by-12- by-6-inch bag can fit laptops up to 15.4 inches and weighs 4 pounds. The outside of the bag has a slot for quick access to documents. There’s a zippered compartment with multiple slots for PDAs, cell phones, business cards, and more. In the middle is another zippered compartment that houses and protects the laptop with three pockets for accessories. At the back of the bag you’ll find a large zippered pocket and a sleeve which can slide over your luggage. It comes with both handles and a shoulder strap.

If your bag ever gets lost, you can use the Swiss Tracker feature to reunite with it. To utilize this feature, fill out the registration form provided in the bag or online at their Web site. This bag is also airport-security-friendly: It has a buckle in the middle that, when open, allows the bag to lie flat during the x-ray screening process, which should eliminate the need to remove your laptop.

I carried this bag around on my commute to and from work, and it held up well. It protected my laptop, kept it in place, and supplied me with more than enough room for all of my items. The only issue for me is that the bag was uncomfortable to carry after a short distance. I would say this bag is great for the professional who will take it on business trips–but if you’re looking for something to carry daily, this may not be the bag for you.