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Feb 16

ZTE and OKWAP team with Intivation to deliver next generation solar devices

Posted in: hands-on, mwc, mwc 2010, Mwc2010, solar, Today's Chili

Let’s be honest, we’d scorch the Earth to eke just one more hour of power from our superphones. Fortunately, as residents of the western world we’ve got plenty of juice to power all of our gadgets. Still, we can definitely see the attraction of a solar-powered cellphone meant for the peoples of developing nations living off the grid. Throw in a flashlight and you’ve just changed somebody’s life. That’s what we’ve got in the ZTE S316, a dead simple candybar with color display and torch. Also announced is the S101 charger with its own built-in flashlight that can be used to charge select, non-solar devices and costs just $12 to $13, maybe less on volume. The third solar device comes from China’s OKWAP and is built by Inventec. The $40 GS109 (pictured above) feature phone is destined, believe it or not, to be an object of ultimate desire when slung from the neck on a lanyard as proof of ones prosperity. Spec-wise, this dual-SIM solar-powered phone packs a video camera, color display, microSD slot, MP3 player, and even Bluetooth 2.1 — a lot of features for a solar phone.

Linking the three devices is Intivations SunBoost solar conversion technology allowing the devices to charge in conditions less than ideal. The ZTE S316, for example, draws a max of about 113mA when on a call, while the solar cell pumps out about 50mA to 60mA of juice depending upon the natural lighting conditions (it even charges when cloudy). That’s about two minutes of natural light exposure required for every minute of talk time to keep the device going. The solar cell on the GS109, meanwhile, produces about 70mA in direct sunlight to keep the device humming. Remember, the idea isn’t to charge a phone from 0% to full but to keep a device continually charged at about 70% to 80%. Intivation is so confident in its tech that it claims to provide “a far better charging experience than anything else on the market today.” Both the S316 and S101 charger will be available in April while the relatively swank GS109 will hit next month. See them all in the gallery below.

Gallery: Solar phones hands-on

ZTE and OKWAP team with Intivation to deliver next generation solar devices originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 16

LG Mini GD880 hands-on

Posted in: hands-on, LG, Mini, mwc, mwc 2010, Mwc2010, smartphone, Today's Chili

Not to be outdone, LG chose MWC to show off its Mini GD880, a svelte piece built from brushed aluminum in both black and silver. Build quality is striking here — jaw-droppingly so — with fit and finish on all corners, seams, and around the various ports looking spot on. This device also has heft for its diminutive size — sure, it’s only 99g, but that feels like so much for a device of this size — but it only adds character and, well, it feels like money for lack of a better word. Running LG’s S-Class UI, the touchscreen sadly isn’t really up to snuff, we had to really poke at the screen to get it to register a touch, and there was lag and delay between key press and action. Of course, this isn’t shipping today, but rather launches in Europe in March — for some unknown price — and then on to other markets. So here’s hoping there is still a tweak or two in the GD880’s future, it’d be a shame to let something as glorious as it looks not deliver an experience to match. Short video and gallery are right below the break.

Gallery: LG Mini GD880 hands-on

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LG Mini GD880 hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 08:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 16

HTC HD mini hands-on

Posted in: hands-on, HTC, mwc, mwc 2010, Mwc2010, sense, Today's Chili, Windows Mobile, WindowsMobile

HTC’s launch today also gives us the HD mini, and, as a result, we’re starting to have a problem sticking with a favorite with each post we put up — really, they’re all that nice. Unfortunately for us we didn’t have an HD2 to throw down and do a real side by side comparison, but just looking at the pic above and comparing it to any other we’ve posted and you’ll see the difference right away. The display is bright and crisp and the OS was responsive enough — and with the device set to ship in April, things are looking pretty positive to meet that date — and while the display doesn’t wow like the HTC HD2, it doesn’t seem too cramped to be usable. We’re digging this mini trend, and hope we catch some more of these at the show. Gallery after the break and a video as soon as we can get one.

Gallery: HTC HD mini hands-on

HTC HD mini hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 07:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 16

HTC Legend hands-on (updated with video)

Posted in: hands-on, HTC, mwc, mwc 2010, Mwc2010, sense, smartphone, Today's Chili, video

OK, we admit it — we’re complete HTC fanboys here today at MWC. But c’mon, can you really blame us? Today’s HTC launch — including the HD mini, Legend, and Desire — while not surprisingly lacking a Windows Phone 7 announcement, was still full of some very, very fine hardware. The Legend is an all-metal set — the housing is the frame of the handset — and like the other launches, this one features the updated version of Sense, a new optical trackpad (which seemed to behave quite well) and a stunning 3.2-inch AMOLED display. The Legend also seems pretty sturdy, as demonstrated by HTC’s CEO Peter Chou when he smacked it against the wall during the press conference. The take away here is this phone is pure beauty and class, and an absolutely huge upgrade (as far as aesthetics go anyway, we’ll hold judgment til we can really test it out) from the HTC Hero it replaces. Follow on for a gallery of photos and check back soon, as we’re definitely going to get some video once we can get it into some better light.

Update: Full Legend and Sense UI walkthrough after the break!

Gallery: HTC Legend hands-on

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HTC Legend hands-on (updated with video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 16

HTC Desire first hands-on (updated with video)

Posted in: hands-on, HTC, mwc, mwc 2010, Mwc2010, smartphone, snapdragon, Today's Chili

Well, we just got a little up close and personal with HTC‘s “superphone,” the Desire. What you’re looking at is basically the Nexus One, sans trackball (though plus an optical touch area). Certainly the specs are the same, though you’ve got the new Sense UI on board for good measure. At a glance the phone actually doesn’t seem as snappy as we were expecting, and there are obviously a few kinks to work out with some of the new Sense concepts (Leap for instance — the pinch-to-card view — was giving our demo person some trouble). Still, the Desire is definitely high on our gadget lust list right now. We’re obviously reserving final judgment for a later date, but until we get some more time with this guy, feast your eyes on the gallery below.

Update: Added a quick video after the break showing the Sense UI… not behaving.

Update 2: We’ve been told by an HTC rep that the Sense build on the Desire unit we played with is actually quite early, so it’s probably not indicative of the actual performance of the pinch-to-card view. We played with a Legend that had a later, nearly final build of the UI and it was definitely snappier and more responsive.

Gallery: HTC Desire first hands-on

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HTC Desire first hands-on (updated with video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 15

Building Bioloid Premium doesn’t look easy, even if you do have $1,199 to do it

Posted in: diy, hands-on, robot, robotics, Today's Chili

Remember Bioloid? How could you forget, right? Well, we had the pleasure of meeting his more expensive brother and Avatar-inspired-sister Bioloid Premium at the New York Toy Fair. Meant for hobbyist robot builders, the kit comes with everything you need to build and program the plastic and metal humanoid, including Robotis’ AX-12 servo actuator and ‘C’ programming software. But getting Bioloid to walk, run and dance to Lady Gaga is going to cost ya a whopping $1,199. That seems like a lot of dough for us non-robot builders, but this guy’s heartwarming demeanor and balancing act almost has us forking it over. You’ll see what we mean in the video just past the break.

Gallery: Bioloid Premium hands-on

Continue reading Building Bioloid Premium doesn’t look easy, even if you do have $1,199 to do it

Building Bioloid Premium doesn’t look easy, even if you do have $1,199 to do it originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 22:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 15

HexBug’s robotic creatures are the creepy crawlers of the future

Posted in: hands-on, robot, Today's Chili

Okay, so it isn’t as artsy as making gooey bugs in a miniature oven, but HexBug’s little micro-robotic tchotchkes are a good time in their own right. The digital entomologists at HexBugs decided to unleash the new Ant Micro and Nano Newton at New York City’s Toy Fair, and for some peculiar reason we were quite enamored with watching these autonomous, high speed creatures run around the carpeted show floor. Powered by two button cell batteries, $11.99 Ant Micro has front and rear touch sensors that allow it to maneuver around objects in its path and it’s hard, colored transparent exoskeleton casing was durable enough for the little guys to crash into a wooden plank and reverse course. The $9.99 tiny motor powered, 12-legged Nano Newton holds a special place in our heart, and the Jolly Rancher sized caterpillar vibrates uncontrollably and is able to flip itself over and walk forward. HexBugs will also sell different Habitat sets so the creatures can run around on their own without adult supervision. Luckily for you, these little guys weren’t camera shy — check the pics below!

Gallery: HexBugs Nano and Ant Micro

HexBug’s robotic creatures are the creepy crawlers of the future originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 21:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 15

Quasi robot melts hearts at Toy Fair, Interbots promises toy version soon

Posted in: hands-on, robot, robotics, Today's Chili

You’d have to be heartless to walk by Interbots’ Quasi and not crack a smile. Q, as we like to call him, isn’t an autonomous bot, but instead everything from his facial expressions to his speech are controlled wirelessly via a tablet PC. As you can see in the video after the break, his master can change his eye color and arm / hand movements with just a touch of the stylus. So, why did Quasi, who was born at Carnegie Mellon in 2006, make an appearance at the 2010 Toy Fair? Interbots is planning to bring an affordable child-friendly version of the $80,000 bot to market by the end of the year, and the reps on hand told us that it’ll even have similar puppeteering capabilities. Sounds like a potential nightmare for parents, but there’s something about this guy that makes us sure about his future as much-adored, bona fide family member.

Gallery: Interbots Quasi robot

Continue reading Quasi robot melts hearts at Toy Fair, Interbots promises toy version soon

Quasi robot melts hearts at Toy Fair, Interbots promises toy version soon originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 15

Motorola MOTOROI hands-on with video

Posted in: Android, hands-on, motorola, mwc, mwc 2010, Mwc2010, Today's Chili

The Motorola MOTOROI is definitely a stunner, but the looks are almost surpassed by just how amazing it feels, it glows with quality — think Milestone, but somehow nicer. The display and UI on this Android 2.0 set are right on, with no lag to speak of — in our really limited hanging-from-a-tether-being-jostled take on it — while flipping about the OS. Sadly, like most other sets on display, the internet wasn’t going anywhere for us to really take it for a spin. But, hey, the MOTOROI is apparently headed to the US in March, and we’re without a doubt going to get a little more in-depth with this phone just as soon as we’re able.

Gallery: Motorola MOTOROI hands-on with video

Continue reading Motorola MOTOROI hands-on with video

Motorola MOTOROI hands-on with video originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 15

Toshiba TG02 hands-on

Posted in: hands-on, mwc, mwc 2010, Mwc2010, snapdragon, Today's Chili, Toshiba, windows mobile 6.5, WindowsMobile6.5

We were all over Toshiba’s drop dead thin and gorgeous TG01 last year, so naturally a chance to peek at the rumored TG02 first hand was something we couldn’t pass up. Very little is new here, the touchscreen technology has seen resistive swapped with capacitive, the device has become a wee bit smaller while retaining the monster 4.1-inch display, and some 3D touches have been added to the SPB Mobile Shell-skinned Windows Mobile 6.5 OS. Like its older sibling, the handset is still a thing of beauty and the 1GHz Snapdragon does make it all purr along very nicely — and while the UI isn’t really a custom one — we like the ability to flip between pages kinda like iPhone and Android do now. All in, this is a pretty decent effort, and removing some of the pain that was the resistive display can only make the TG02 better. Follow on for a tour and a gallery of shots.

Gallery: Toshiba TG02 hands-on