Hasta La Gadget!

Two Lenovo tablets in the same evening? Nah, it’s not the midsummer sun melting your cerebrum, but the same result just might happen after you ingest this one. True to rumors, the ThinkPad Tablet (yeah, that’s seriously the whole name) will indeed be shipping with a full-size USB port and an optional dedicated folio / case, and oddly enough, it’s that very peripheral that could set this unit apart from the masses. While it’s obviously no big chore to find a Bluetooth-enabled keyboard folio for the iPad, you probably won’t find a perfectly matching case with a tried-and-true Lenovo keyboard and a newfangled optical trackpad unless you’re ponying up for this guy. Internally, we’re looking at the same 1GHz Tegra 2 silicon as found in the more consumery IdeaPad K1, a 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) IPS display, a battery good for up to 8.7 hours of use, 1GB of RAM, 16/32/64GB of storage, 3-in-1 card reader, A-GPS, an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, front (2MP) / rear (5MP) cameras, a mini HDMI port (1080p capable!) and Lenovo’s own app launcher / app market.

In our discussions with Lenovo, it was made fairly clear that this guy was being aimed more at companies and less at consumers, but there’s absolutely nothing stopping the latter from enjoying a solid Honeycomb experience here. In fact, the ability to plug in a common mouse or trackpad (or combo device, for that matter) makes it far more useful than many of the ultraslim slates it’ll inevitably go up against. Also unique to the Tablet is a built-in active stylus, which is tailor-made to jot down highly important information cartoons in the company’s homegrown note-taking program.

The full-size USB port also puts it squarely in Eee Transformer territory, with the Keyboard Folio shown above making perfect use of it. In practice, the accessory worked beautifully, and while the $99 price tag may seem a bit steep, it’s not exactly cheap to go out and get a third-party case, keyboard and mouse. The company’s demanding $499 (and up) for it’s Android 3.1-based biz slate, with initial shipments starting today. Peek the hands-on video just after the break!

Continue reading Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet and Keyboard Folio case hands-on (video)

Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet and Keyboard Folio case hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 00:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know, we know. You’re fit to be tied waiting for the complete Star Wars collection to be released on Blu-ray in September, but there’s good news for impatient iPad owners here in the US. You see, some of the collection’s bonus materials can be had for free a bit early — as in tomorrow — courtesy of the Star Wars Blu-ray: Early Access App. Even better, we’ve got video of the app in action plus a gallery of pics for you to drool over until you can download it yourself. And for folks abroad or those with an iPhone or iPod touch, the same sneak peek will be available in August.

The app itself is a ported version of what you’ll see on the Blu-ray discs, but there’s some added touchscreen functionality — pinch-to-zoom on the concept art and users can spin props and models with the flick of a finger in the “Collection” section. The app also lets you selectively download the content, so all that artwork and video won’t eat up an undue portion of your iPad’s memory. After getting handsy with it in person, we found the app easy to use and the content compelling (where else can you examine the Death Star up close?), but we were left wishing that there was a bit… more. Of course, the lion’s share of extras are reserved for the paying customers come September 16th — though we were disappointed to discover that, currently, there are no plans to make it all available on the app even if you buy the Blu-rays. Regardless, you get what you pay for, and that makes this gratis addition to the Star Wars universe a darn good deal.

Continue reading Hands-on with the Star Wars Blu-ray: Early Access iOS app

Hands-on with the Star Wars Blu-ray: Early Access iOS app originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 21:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Back in May, we caught a glimpse of Acer’s TravelMate 8481, rocking an extra thin bezel and up to 13 nine hours of battery life for the road-weary sojourner. At the time, Acer was touting a mid-June launch, but we’ve just received word that the Core i7-packing notebook won’t make it into carry-ons until late August. As of now, we’ve only got UK pricing — £699, to be exact — leading us to wonder when the thing will make the journey stateside. As per usual, we will keep you abreast of the details as they roll in. Until then, you can peep the full PR after the break.

Continue reading Acer TravelMate 8481 lands late August, £700 price tag in tow

Acer TravelMate 8481 lands late August, £700 price tag in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 17 Jul 2011 06:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Everything about HTC’s Status screams Facebook. Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Facebook has always maintained it is not working on a phone. And while it’s not exactly an official Facebook phone, the HTC Status is as close as you’re going to get to one.

The entire device screams “Facebook” in functionality, form and aesthetic. To begin with, there’s the most obvious social feature: A Facebook-branded “F” button located at the lower-right corner of the phone, dedicated entirely to updating your status (hence the name of the phone).

The premise is frightening. Imagine your Facebook feed packed with status updates coming from a single friend, nonchalantly broadcasting every minute of his life from his HTC Status. If you decide to buy this phone, take it easy on the F trigger, or prepare to be unfriended en masse.

Whatever your feelings are on the phone’s primary function, HTC nails it on the look. Against the phone’s stark silver and white color palette, Facebook’s trademark blue and white logo is the center of attention. In an added flourish, the back-lit keyboard letters shine white while in use, with the alt-text offsetting the white letters in an attractive glowing blue. The phone’s entire look mimics the social site with understated (yet still appreciable) flare.

Combining a 2.6-inch touchscreen display with a full QWERTY keyboard, the Status reminds me of a BlackBerry Torch sans slide-out functioning, or perhaps the Palm Pre of yesteryear. The idea behind the phone’s hybridity rests in its social roots: The easiest way to update your Facebook status is, of course, on a physical keyboard. Yet only hardware manufacturers living in the stone age would put out a smartphone without touchscreen capability.

The Status comes with a full Qwerty keyboard as well as a touchscreen. And of course, there’s the Facebook button. Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

But there’s almost always an inherent problem in putting forth a compromise. Instead of concentrating on doing one thing very well, it usually means you’re doing two things half-assed. Luckily for the Status, HTC got it half right. The keyboard doesn’t suffer; it’s the screen that’s difficult to adjust to.

The Sense software — HTC’s tailor-made Android interface — was made with bigger screens in mind. With its giant clock icon and a fat status box that features rolling updates from your friends’ feeds, the home screen feels cluttered, almost claustrophobic. Even on the menu screen that displays a full list of your apps, there’s not always enough room to show an app’s full title if it’s longer than 10 characters.

Fortunately, the Status ships with Android version 2.3.3 (Gingerbread), one of the most up-to-date releases of the software. It’s not quite 2.3.4, but let’s not nitpick too much.

The 800-MHz Qualcomm processor is ample enough to accomplish simple enough tasks, but it’s no match for Nvidia’s Tegra 2 dual-core chip. But to be fair, the Status wasn’t built to compete with the latest full-size, power-packed smartphones hitting the market. It’s made for Facebooking, not for gaming.

The back-facing camera is decent enough to get the job done, though nothing to text home about. The front-facing camera, however, is atrocious. Pictures displayed grainy, and not in the cool Instagram way. It is capable of video capture, so if you want to upload mini movies to Facebook, you’re good to go.

Ultimately, I’m skeptical about recommending a phone like the Status. It’s reminiscent of Microsoft’s Kin One and Kin Two phones from about a year ago, both of which were mid-level devices dedicated to Twitter and Facebook updates. And they both flopped big time.

But HTC’s version of the so-called ‘Facebook phone’ is done far better than Microsoft’s. The Status’ hardware still lands it squarely withing the realm of smartphones, while the Kin models existed in a vague territory between smart and dumb (i.e. smartphone versus a traditional feature phone).

I personally wouldn’t buy a Status, but I’m also more judicious with my status updates. On the other hand, if you’re one for broadcasting what you had for breakfast, the Status was made for you.

There’s nary a menu screen that doesn’t direct you to Facebook on HTC’s Status smartphone. Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

The HTC Status will be available in U.S. stores beginning July 17 for a mere $50 with two-year AT&T contract.

The Nintendo 3DS may be suffering from a slight lack of hot games at the moment, but thanks to a little update it is certainly not suffering from a lack of great movies and TV shows to watch. The Netflix addition that Nintendo promised us back in the summer is now up for download, and download is just what we did. If you’re wondering just how Instant content looks on the small screen, click on through and find out.

Continue reading Netflix on Nintendo 3DS hands-on (video)

Netflix on Nintendo 3DS hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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