Hasta La Gadget!

Yahoo! has been building its Connected TV widget platform up since debuting at CES 2009 and opening up its SDK in 2010, and it’s already getting started on a new push for 2011 – paid apps. Right now the various TVs from Samsung, Sony, VIZIO, Toshiba and LG based on its platform only offer free widgets but the Connected TV Store is expected to launch in March, letting developers hawk their wares at the remote-wielding masses for anywhere from 99 cents to $99, with Yahoo! receiving a 30 percent cut for its trouble. Kadoo, PlayJam, Virtual Nerd, ScreenDreams, Accedo Broadband and Mycast weather are already testing the waters and the company promises a full demo at CES 2011. Since we figure it’s only a matter of time until Apple works its app store into the Apple TV, Google has already announced its plans to add the Market to Google TV next year and everyone from Samsung to Boxee is actively courting developers in the living room, 2011 should be a very interesting year.

Yahoo! Connected TV store will let developers start charging for apps in March 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 20:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wow. LG did say it’d bring some heat to its Android Optimus line and here’s our first look at it, folks! An 8 megapixel camera-wearing, 1080p video-recording, dual-core superphone to appease all the spec fanatics out there. Aimed for release early next year, as the very first dual-core Android handset, this device will finally bring NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 into the smartphone realm. Our tipster tells us it’s codenamed Star internally, though that’s certain to change in the final product nomenclature. You might think that massive Google logo on the back would imply stock Android and you’d be right — we’re told it’ll be a nearly untouched representation of the Google OS, though it’s still not clear which version it’ll be. We’ve also spotted a front-facing camera on the front, while the innards include microSD memory expandability, microUSB connectivity, and a 1500mAh battery. Nexus who?

Exclusive: LG’s 4-inch Android phone with dual-core Tegra 2 and 1080p video coming in early 2011 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Nov 2010 06:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s not exactly the Optimus T / S we saw hit T-Mobile and Sprint, respectively, but for all intents and purposes, it’s a fraternal twin. The LG Vortex for Verizon brings with it Android 2.2, a 3.2-inch touchscreen, 3G Mobile HotSpot capability, Skype, Swype, a suite of pre-installed carrier / manufacturer apps (e.g. VZ Navigator), and as you might’ve guessed from it being a non-Droid Verizon Android phone, Bing Search and Bing Maps. Despite being a later arrival, this one’s actually the most expensive of the three — $80 on contract after $100 mail-in rebate. November 18th, if you want to mark a calendar.

LG Vortex puts a Verizon spin on budget Android — yes, Bing’s there, too originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Nov 2010 13:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Okay, Microsoft, we get it. Fictional characters just love Windows Phone 7. They can’t string three scenes together without pulling up Maps or trying to force the phrase “Bing it” into our vernacular. This time it’s Bones star Emily Deschanel, aka Dr. Temperance Brennan, whipping out an LG Quantum mid-interrogation to engage in a little textual activity — much to the mock ire of hunky co-star David Boreanaz. But don’t listen to him, he’s probably just jealous they didn’t have such gratuitous product placement back when he was still pretending to be a vampire. You know, back before vampires went all mainstream.

[Thanks, Afzal N]

Continue reading Screen Grabs: it’s WP7 product placement overload, make no Bones about it (video)

Screen Grabs: it’s WP7 product placement overload, make no Bones about it (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 21:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Competition is good, let’s officially welcome LG to the burgeoning color electronic paper market. The company is diving right in with not one but two color prototype displays that it showed off at FPD International in Japan. Both are 9.7-inches diagonal, the first being fully color with an 800 x 600 resolution — which just happens to exactly match the specs of E Ink’s latest. The second, however, is only partly color, the top three quarters being monochrome with a 1200 x 1200 resolution, augmented by a 200 x 600 color strip at the bottom. It’s an interesting offering, a layout not unlike the Nook but all on a single display. No word on price or availability, but you can see them doing their thing, along with E Ink’s latest, in the video below.

Continue reading LG demonstrates two color e-paper displays, one with a split personality

LG demonstrates two color e-paper displays, one with a split personality originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Nov 2010 12:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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