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Feb 15

Solowheel self-balancing unicycle is as easy to ride as it is to afford (video)

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

If a company makes as bold a statement as “we reinvented the wheel” when introducing a gadget you know we’ve gotta check ’em out and see what the hubbub’s about. Well, at the International Toy Fair in New York, Inventist has introduced its “Solowheel” product, which is essentially a self-balancing unicycle for personal mobility. We’ve seen similar products before, but the convenient carrying handle and lack of seat make it decidedly more portable than the competition. This $1,500 Segway-esque transporter uses gyroscopes to stay balanced, but places your legs on either side of a single central wheel. It’s said to have a max speed of 12 miles per hour and a battery that should last for about 12 miles.

We tried out the interesting device and found it entertaining, albeit quite a bit difficult. Getting started is the hardest part — especially if you don’t have anything to lean against — but maintaining balance and still trying to lean your body to turn takes quite a bit of practice as well. That’s right, there are no physical steering controls whatsoever and instead you use your body weight to control direction and speed. We could barely get going in our brief attempts on the device, but the rep on the floor was more skilled and made us realize we really need to build up our street cred. The whole concept is really a bit wild, and the company envisions people using these to do things like get to the train instead of on a bicycle or in a cab. We’re not quite sure your average person is ready to slim down to one wheel in life just yet, but maybe in the future they will be. Still, as a toy it’s most definitely intriguing, and you can see our horrid attempts at riding it in the video posted after the break or hit the more coverage link for another video of more skilled riders in action.

Gallery: Solowheel self-balancing unicycle

Continue reading Solowheel self-balancing unicycle is as easy to ride as it is to afford (video)

Solowheel self-balancing unicycle is as easy to ride as it is to afford (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 19:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 15

Toshiba to release its Windows 7 tablet in the second half of the year

Posted in: hands-on, mwc, mwc 2011, Mwc2011, tablet, tablets, Today's Chili, Toshiba, windows 7, Windows7

We know, from the side that tablet up there looks a lot like Toshiba’s still unnamed 10-inch Honeycomb tablet, but it’s actually the company’s future Windows 7 slate, which we were told today won’t be hitting the market until the second half of 2011. The model Toshiba had on display was behind glass and wasn’t actually powered on, but we did confirm that it will have an 11.6-inch display and will be powered by Intel’s Atom Oak Trail processor. That’s all we were able to get out of the company, but apparently that very tablet was on display at CES, and Notebook Italia gathered there that it will have 64GB of storage and 2GB of RAM. So, what’s the hold up on the slate? According to Toshiba’s Marco Perino, the company’s putting a bit of “Toshiba flavor” on top of the OS to make it more touch-friendly. He also said that it may not come to all parts of the world as different regions will determine the local demand. We’re not sure anyone is holding their breath for this one, but we’ll keep you updated if we should hear more. Hit the break for a few more behind-glass shots of the tablet.

Gallery: Toshiba Windows 7 tablet at MWC

Toshiba to release its Windows 7 tablet in the second half of the year originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 15

A closer look at the HTC Flyer’s screen, stylus, and Scribe

Posted in: 7-inch, froyo, hands-on, HTC, impressions, mwc, mwc 2011, Mwc2011, preview, tablet, tablets, Today's Chili, video

This morning HTC announced its 7-inch Flyer tablet, and unlike the hoards of Android tablets we’ve seen in the last couple of months, it’s got something that frankly reminds us a bit of Microsoft’s original tablet push… a stylus! The Flyer doesn’t come with just any old capacitive stylus, however — HTC has worked with N-Trig, the company that has made digitizers for convertible PCs like the Dell Latitude XT, to implement a much more accurate writing or doodling experience. And well, it basically makes it unlike any other Android tablet on the market right now. We spent some time with N-Trig and the Flyer today, focusing quite a bit on the new stylus and “Scribe” software, as HTC calls it — hit the break for some details on both the software and hardware and a short video of how that pen actually works when put to the screen.

Gallery: HTC screen, stylus, and Scribe hands-on

Continue reading A closer look at the HTC Flyer’s screen, stylus, and Scribe

A closer look at the HTC Flyer’s screen, stylus, and Scribe originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 15

BlackBerry PlayBook to ship with full versions of Tetris and Need For Speed: Undercover (video)

Posted in: BlackBerry, blackberry playbook, BlackberryPlaybook, demo, Games, gaming, hands-on, mwc, mwc 2011, Mwc2011, playbook, RIM, Software, tablet, Today's Chili, video

EA Sports isn’t one to give things away, but that’s exactly what it’s doing on RIM’s BlackBerry PlayBook. We still haven’t heard a concrete ship date for this thing, but EA swears up and down that these two titles will be finalized by the time it goes to market. Both Tetris and Need For Speed: Undercover will come pre-loaded on the device, with both being full, unabridged versions; in fact, NFS will feature a new mode specifically designed for getting into the game quickly on this very tablet. Smartly, there’s even a “slo mo” mode which slows everything down to enable accurate control even during hectic rides on the subway. We’ve lauded the PlayBook before, but we were duly impressed with just how well this thing handled multitasking. Even with NFS running in the background, we were able to play back a video in the foreground with nary a bit of lag during the transition. Tetris was predictably Tetris, and it only works when holding the slate vertically. We’ve got to confess that the inclusion of these two titles is quite the gesture, and considering the first four letters of this product’s name, we’d say it’s more than fitting. Hop on down to see a demonstration video of both, showcased here at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Gallery: Tetris and Need For Speed: Undercover on BlackBerry PlayBook at MWC 2011

Continue reading BlackBerry PlayBook to ship with full versions of Tetris and Need For Speed: Undercover (video)

BlackBerry PlayBook to ship with full versions of Tetris and Need For Speed: Undercover (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 12:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 15

ZTE Amigo, Blade, and Skate hands-on

Posted in: hands-on, mwc, mwc 2011, Mwc2011, Today's Chili

ZTE outed several new sets — and a tablet — at MWC 2011, so we went to grab some specs and pics of the Blade, Skate, and the Amigo (from left to right). The ZTE Skate is the top of the line product in this group with Android 2.3 — though, the placard at the stand has been blanked out — triple-band GSM, HSPA in 1900 / 2100Mhz range, a 4.3-inch WVGA capacitive display, 5 megapixel cam, and likely the smallest keyboard we’ve ever seen, seriously, have a peek at the gallery. The Blade, which as our favorite in the group, runs Android 2.2, is downgraded to a 3 megapixel camera, a 3.5-inch display, quad-band GSM and 900 / 2100Mhz HSPA. The Amigo — what may be the lowliest as far as numbers are concerned — still has decent specs such as a 3.2-inch display, triple band GSM, 1900 / 2100 HSPA, and a side-sliding QWERTY keypad. The Blade and Skate both have great build quality, the screens are really bright and easily seen, the Amigo appears a bit more washed out and the housing build quality feels very cheap. The Skate is definitely the winner in the bells and whistles category, but unless you can swap out the onscreen keyboard it would definitely get a pass — and again, check out Joanna’s finger modeling in the gallery for proof. Enjoy the giant glossy gallery.

Gallery: ZTE Amigo, Blade, and Skate hands-on

ZTE Amigo, Blade, and Skate hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 11:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 15

Verizon VoLTE voice and video call demo at MWC 2011 (video)

Posted in: 4G, Android, demo, Google, GoogleAndroid, hands-on, LG, lte, mwc, Today's Chili, verizon, Verizon Wireless, VerizonWireless, video, VoIP

There may not be a native LTE network live in Barcelona yet, but that didn’t stop Big Red from hauling a 700MHz demonstration to Spain for the purposes of gloating at Mobile World Congress. We heard just days ago that the LG Revolution would be one of the first phones to support voice over LTE (VoLTE) on Verizon, and today we were given quite a bit of extra information about the rollout. For starters, Verizon’s hoping that other carriers adopt their VoLTE platform, even going so far as to encourage it. It’s sort of comical to hear the company that once crippled Bluetooth on dumbphones and still makes you buy a month of data just to activate a tablet talk about “openness” when it comes to communications, but we suppose the tables are turned somewhat when it’s VZW that stands to gain. At any rate, VoLTE essentially acts as a VoIP lane, giving a specific amount of bandwidth to the call (which ensures call quality, unlike Skype, which is at the mercy of shared applications that are using the same bandwidth) and also enabling the phone to use data whilst the call it ongoing.

The Revolution, which is slated to launch in March, will eventually gain VoLTE support, though VZW’s not expecting the feature to go live in America until next year. Bilal Wahid, Verizon Wireless’ Associate Director of Product Development, told us that at least initially, you may see VoLTE voice and videocalling available on Android smartphones, but there’s no reason that the same apps couldn’t be developed for other platforms. The call quality was on par with some of the high-bandwidth VoIP calls we’ve encountered, and the videocalling was particularly impressive. The resolution was tremendous, and there was essentially no lag whatsoever. Of course, this all happened over a locked, modular LTE network, so results will almost certainly vary out in the real world; regardless, it’s a beautiful start, and it certainly makes the wait to 2012 that much more difficult. Hop on past the break for a demonstration as well as a lengthy explanation of the technology, where it’s going, and when it’ll be implemented.

Gallery: Verizon VoLTE voice and video call demo at MWC 2011 (video)

Continue reading Verizon VoLTE voice and video call demo at MWC 2011 (video)

Verizon VoLTE voice and video call demo at MWC 2011 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 11:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 15

Qualcomm’s ultrasonic pen demo transcribes from paper to device (video)

Posted in: demo, hands-on, mwc, mwc 2011, Mwc2011, qualcomm, Today's Chili, touch, video, Wireless

LG’s Netflix-lovin’ Revolution wasn’t the only standout demonstration at Qualcomm’s MWC booth — the company also cut out a bit of space to showcase a wild new ultrasonic pen that’s able to transcribe writing on paper directly into one’s phone, tablet or laptop. The gist of it is simple: the pen can be equipped with an actual ink pen or a simple nub, and there’s a battery-powered transceiver inside. Using standard, off-the-shelf microphones on a mobile device, your future phone or tablet could pick up vibrations from the pen with a radius of around 30 centimeters.

Underlying Epos software is used to convert vibration and coordinate information into text, and from there, any ‘ole text app can be used to field the results. We were even shown a brief demo of a prototype language translation app that enabled the demonstrator to write a sentence on paper beside the phone, and have the phone itself take in the English phrase, convert it to text, and then translate into a foreign tongue. It’s a fairly impressive feat, and there’s some pretty obvious usage case scenarios here — this could easily reinvent the art of note taking in class, where those who prefer to jot down reminders on paper will be able to log those same bullet points on their laptop as they scribble. Vid’s after the break, per usual.

Gallery: Qualcomm / Epos ultrasonic pen handwriting demo at MWC 2011

Continue reading Qualcomm’s ultrasonic pen demo transcribes from paper to device (video)

Qualcomm’s ultrasonic pen demo transcribes from paper to device (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 15

VMware Android handset virtualization hands-on

Posted in: Android, hands-on, LG, Today's Chili

VMware and LG’s virtualized Android OS demo at MWC 2011 is pretty slick. The speed of the transition from the owner’s OS to the virtualized OS is nothing short of amazing considering it is all running from the device’s SD card. As we posted earlier, the potential in the work world are pretty impressive: an employer can simply provision and add the new OS replete with all the security policies, remote wipe capability, security, VPN config, mail settings, and all that magic. Sure, VMware has started with Android and LG, but there’s apparently nothing holding them back from offering this on any smartphone platform — and honestly, we can’t wait to see more. But until then, the following video will have to do.

Continue reading VMware Android handset virtualization hands-on

VMware Android handset virtualization hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 10:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 15

HTC Incredible S, Desire S, and Wildfire S video hands-on

Posted in: hands-on, HTC, mwc, mwc 2011, Mwc2011, Today's Chili, video

Okay, by now you’ve likely seen most if not all of HTC’s monstrous MWC 2011 launch (HTC Incredible S, Desire S, and Wildfire S), but we’d be remiss in our duties if we didn’t complete the video tours. Sadly the HTC Salsa and ChaCha weren’t ready to play just yet — the software isn’t quite ready for primetime — so they had to remain behind a safe layer of glass. We did, however, get a quick overview of each of the S devices mentioned above and have some pretty galleries of them, too. So enjoy the show.

Gallery: HTC Incredible S first hands-on

Gallery: HTC Desire S first hands-on

Gallery: HTC Wildfire S first hands-on

Continue reading HTC Incredible S, Desire S, and Wildfire S video hands-on

HTC Incredible S, Desire S, and Wildfire S video hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feb 15

Samsung Galaxy Ace, Gio, Fit, and mini gather for a mega hands-on

Posted in: Android, froyo, hands-on, mwc, mwc 2011, Mwc2011, samsung, smartphone, Today's Chili, video

You didn’t think Samsung just brought its new high-end Galaxy S II to Barcelona, did you? Nope, it also packed a few of those new budget Android 2.2 smartphones — the Galaxy Gio, Galaxy Fit, Galaxy Ace, and Galaxy mini — in its luggage. We’re aware that’s a lot of Galaxy, but there are, of course, a couple of key features that differentiate the low-end phones. Hit the break for our short impressions of the four and a brief video of our favorite.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Gio and Ace hands-on