Hasta La Gadget!

Toshiba hasn’t strayed far from its NB205 series of 10-inch netbooks with the all-new mini NB305, but the few tweaks made are welcome. Obviously the Atom N450 processor is the central attraction, but tweaks like a 250GB hard drive, less protrusive 6-cell battery (which clocks in a purported 11 hours of battery life), and a slightly lighter finished product (2.6 pounds) all add up to a compelling offering. The regular version of the laptop with “true” chiclet keys goes for $400, while a black version with a less impressive keyboard takes the entry spot at $350.

We got a few moments to play with the netbooks, and came away pretty impressed. It might not be quite the bang-for-buck on offer from other manufacturers, and the lack of a higher-end graphics option is a little off-putting, but as for simple build quality and usability (we’re particular fans of the oversized trackpad), the NB305 might be hard to beat. Toshiba’s also pursuing the software angle here with a Media Controller app to expose some of Windows 7’s media streaming abilities, along with a visual search app called RealTime and a fridge-style Bulletin Board.

Toshiba mini NB305 adds Atom N450 to a successful formula (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Casio Exilim G EX-G1 hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Jan 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Occasionally, a phone exists simply because it can. Not because it’s powerful; not because it offers amazing bang for the buck; not because the manufacturer negotiated some lucrative exclusivity agreement with a major carrier, and certainly not because it’s introducing some groundbreaking new smartphone operating system. Yeah — not even Sony Ericsson is attempting to frame or formulate a legitimate business case for the sinfully hedonistic Xperia Pureness, because they don’t have to. One look at that wild transparent display and you’ll either be smitten or confused and dismayed by the $1,000 sticker price. It’s that simple.

Anyhow, we’ve just taken delivery of a Pureness today and have had a few fleeting moments to check it out. If it weren’t for the screen, you’d be looking at a $30 prepaid candybar here — you don’t have a camera, a high-res display, or any sexy metal or soft-touch bits to give the phone a premium feel. The UI is about the simplest possible incarnation of Sony Ericsson’s typical dumbphone platform, owing largely to the fact that the display’s just grayscale; you’ve got an FM radio (with a headset attached) and a basic music player and browser, but if you’re in North America, don’t expect any 3G.

That said, seriously, look at that shot we took up there: the display is insane. We can’t quite get over it — it’s the ultimate conversation piece. Motorola Aura owners looking for a fresh way to draw a crowd might look at this as their next purchase, but if you’re looking to do anything but talk (and occasionally browse an eerily translucent version of Engadget), make no mistake, this isn’t your phone. Did we mention we want one really, really badly?

Sony Ericsson Xperia Pureness hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The long (long!) awaited Pandora gaming handheld is inching closer and closer to reality, with all but a few i’s and t’s left to dot and cross (respectively). It’s so close to ready, in fact, that personnel from the device’s production team invited a mere mortal (also known as a forum member) to their homes in order to test out and tinker with a pre-production model. Naturally, his hands-on experience was nothing short of glowing — but really, we wouldn’t expect anything less from a devout forum member who clearly digs even the idea of having a Pandora to hold and snuggle with. There’s no denying the awesomeness that awaits you in the video past the break, though, and if the unit really does handle everything as smoothly as it does Super Mario 64, we’re all in for a treat.

Continue reading Near-final Pandora handheld gets user reviewed, shown playing Super Mario 64

Near-final Pandora handheld gets user reviewed, shown playing Super Mario 64 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 07:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We don’t know, but it seems like RIM has enlisted a couple more CDMA engineers because the gap between new devices launching on GSM and then making their way to CDMA has been getting noticeably smaller over time. The BlackBerry Curve 8520 was launched on T-Mobile only a few short months ago, and it’s already made its way to both Verizon and Sprint. It’s not the same powerhouse as its older sibling the Tour, but this device packs a heck of a lot of punch into a very pocketable package. Read past the break for our extended impressions.

Continue reading BlackBerry Curve 8530 impressions

Filed under: Cellphones

BlackBerry Curve 8530 impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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