Hasta La Gadget!

While Fujitsu’s design entrants already boggled our minds here at CEATEC, KDDI au is looking to take things one step further by actually shipping a pair of decidedly futuristic handsets in Japan. Just months after the iida sub-brand was formally launched, the Ply and Prismoid are making their debuts on the show floor. The latter sports a 2.7-inch primary display, a 0.6-inch OLED sub-display, a microSD expansion slot and a design to die for; the former packs a 3.2 megapixel camera, 1seg TV tuner and a 3-inch panel. Have a look at the gallery below (and video past the break) if you’re yearning to see just how lovely a dumbphone can be, and trust us when we say you’ve only yourself to blame if you carelessly let this opportunity pass you by.

Continue reading iida Ply and Prismoid phones strut their stuff at CEATEC (video)

Filed under: Cellphones

iida Ply and Prismoid phones strut their stuff at CEATEC (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

You know, if it weren’t so early in the morning, we might just think Samsung’s latest Armani slider (more formally known as the SPH-W8200) was a gilded Instinct HD with a pull-down number pad. We’re going to do our best to pretend there’s really something more here, starting with the fact that the Giorgio Armani logo beneath the screen is probably worth more than half of our belongings… at least according to Craigslist. At any rate, the first glimpse at this here phone’s specifications has finally emerged, and while some tidbits are still up in the air, we do know that it’ll arrive with a 3.1-inch AMOLED touchscreen, a DMB TV tuner, 5 megapixel camera, HSDPA, Bluetooth and a microSD expansion slot. Too bad the price will inevitably overshadow all of that, but hey, fashion ain’t cheap — ya heard?

Filed under: Cellphones

Samsung Armani specifications and press shots emerge: mmm, luscious originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Vertu’s not known for making cut rate electronics, so this is probably the closest it’ll ever come. The company’s just unveiled its latest flip phone, the Constellation Ayxta. The Ayxta is aimed at citizens of the world who are looking for a “high quality product to assist in maintaining their standard of living wherever they may be,” — i.e., lazy people who’d rather throw money at something than figure out what to do on their own on a Friday night in Vienna. We can sympathize — sort of. To that end, the handset will be kitted with all manner of awesomeness, including Vertu’s own Concierge service which puts you on the line with a customer service representative directly — no hold required. Users will also get access to Vertu Select — which, as we said before, will help you out and tell you where all the cool people are in whatever one horse town you happen to be in at the moment. It’s got 3G and a micros SD slot for up to 8GB of storage, plus a 3.0 megapixel cam with integrated flash (which is always nice), but other than that it’s pretty unimpressive. The Constellation Ayxta is available in Europe now, and for a very affordable €4,900 to €6,500 — somewhere in the neighborhood of $7,000 – $10,500.

[Via T3]

Filed under: Cellphones

Vertu announces Constellation Ayxta flip phone for the discerning, friendless traveler originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

It’s been well over two years since high-end audio outfit Bowers & Wilkins introduced the iPod-lovin’ Zeppelin, and evidently it’s time for a downsizing. Today, the good folks over at B&W slung out the Zeppelin Mini, which promises the same dirigible-inspired sound but in a form factor that fits in a wider assortment of areas. To be honest, this version seems toned down quite a bit on the design side, with the key differentiating features being an updated docking arm and the addition of USB connectivity. Said socket enables direct PC / Mac streaming if your iPod gets lost, and it also enables your ‘Pod to sync with your computer whilst playing back tunes. As for specs, you’ll find a pair of 3-inch full-range drivers, 36 total watts of power, a 3.5 millimeter auxiliary jack and a bundled remote. It’s expected to hit next month for £299 ($495), but you can get acquainted right now by jumping past the break and mashing play.

[Via Macworld]

Continue reading Bowers & Wilkins downsizes with Zeppelin Mini iPod speaker

Filed under: Home Entertainment

Bowers & Wilkins downsizes with Zeppelin Mini iPod speaker originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

No surprises here (at all), but Leica’s 09/09/09 event has just led to the formal unveiling of the full-frame, 18 megapixel M9 rangefinder and the compact X1. The former (which is shipping now) supports all Leica M lenses and ships with a “newly developed glass sensor cover designed to guarantee the suppression of the infrared portion of the light spectrum.” There’s also a quick-access ISO adjustment button alongside a few other hotkeys, a full metal housing, Kodak-sourced CCD, a fresh microprocessor-controlled shutter (which is supposedly “near silent”) and a staggering £4,850 ($8,004) price tag. As for the X1, you’ll find a 12.1 megapixel CMOS sensor (APS-C), a fixed-mount Leica Elmarit 1:2.8/24mm lens, numerous “auto” modes for the newbies in attendance, a maximum ISO of 3200, 2.7-inch rear LCD and a Live View function that replaces the optical viewfinder. Expect to hear more regarding price when the January 2010 ship date nears, but for now, feel free to peruse the hands-on galleries linked below.

Read – Leica M9 announcement and hands-on
Read – Leica X1 announcement and hands-on

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Leica gets official with M9 and X1 cameras, hands-on ensue originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments