Hasta La Gadget!

Bada 2.0 won’t just be riding the Wave 3, Wave M and Wave Y, but according to a tweet from Samsung, it’ll be available on all older Wave models as well. The company did warn that the OS could run “differently” between devices based on specifications like CPU and memory size, which may affect lower end models like the Wave 525 and Wave 533. However, if you are the proud owner of any of the fancier Wave phones like the S8500, expect the full OS makeover. The upgrade is due to splash across Europe some time in the fourth quarter, rolling out worldwide soon thereafter.

All Samsung Wave phones will get Bada 2.0, if they can handle the upgrade originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 Sep 2011 13:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Things just keep getting bleaker for RIM. With its revenues stagnating and smartphone market share dwindling, the BlackBerry maker is now facing new financial pressure from Jaguar Financial Group — a Canadian merchant bank and RIM shareholder that’s calling upon the company to do one of two rather unpleasant things: sell itself, or sell its patent portfolio. In an open letter to RIM’s board of directors, Jaguar CEO Vic Alboni criticized the manufacturer for failing to “inspire consumer enthusiasm” for its products, and for bringing its devices to market too late. And, as share prices continue to drop, Alboni thinks it’s time to make a change:

The status quo is not acceptable, the company cannot sit still. It is time for transformational change. The directors need to seize the reins to maximize shareholder value before more market value is lost.

Jaguar didn’t specify the size of its RIM stake, but claimed to be calling for upheaval on behalf of “other supportive shareholders” who, in total, hold less than five percent of the company. The Ontario-based firm is hoping that a new line of QNX-based smartphones will curtail its slump, but Alboni doesn’t sound so optimistic. “You cannot put all your eggs in one basket,” he told Bloomberg. “The board should be saying, ‘What if these products don’t pan out?’ You don’t want RIM to turn into another Nortel.” A RIM spokeswoman, meanwhile, declined to comment on the letter. Hit up the source link below to read it for yourself.

Shareholder calls for RIM to sell itself or its patents, in critical open letter originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 07:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just a few days after introducing its own Android-like OS, Baidu is now looking to expand its mobile reach to the hardware front, with the help of Dell. According to Reuters, the Chinese search giant has joined forces with the PC manufacturer to produce a line of tablets and smartphones within China, in the hopes of capitalizing on a market of more than 900 million mobile subscribers. A Dell spokeswoman declined to offer a launch date for the new line of products, but sources close to the matter say they could launch as early as November. Details on the devices remain equally opaque, though Dell seems intent on resurrecting its tablet / handset unit, following the demise of the Streak 5. “We have a partnership with Baidu and you know we have the Streak 5 tablet, so the partnership will be in that space,” the company’s rep explained, adding that future releases would involve Baidu’s mobile app platform, as well. Today’s announcement also comes after Dell’s Chinese sales grew by 22 percent during the first quarter of this year, though it remains to be seen whether or not this alliance will have much affect on a market currently dominated by Apple and Lenovo.

Baidu, Dell join forces to produce line of smartphones and tablets in China originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Sep 2011 06:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know you’ve got questions, and if you’re brave enough to ask the world for answers, here’s the outlet to do so. This week’s Ask Engadget inquiry is coming to us from Ryan, who can’t wait to get his kid fixated on the wonderful world of computers. If you’re looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com.

“My son (five years old) has commandeered my wife’s laptop for his game-playing pleasure lately, and it’s been driving her batty. He basically only plays the games she does (Plants vs. Zombies, Zuma, etc.). So far he’s able to find the games he wants (by their icons) and open them without issues using Windows 7, but now that I’m looking into getting him his own basic computer I’m beginning to wonder if there isn’t something more kid-friendly out there. I’ve had cursory experience with OS X and Linux (Ubuntu), and I’ll be doing all the installing and setup myself. Any thoughts from parents? Thanks!”

Kids and computers. Now that’s a recipe for awesomeness. Any new(ish) parents out there have any experience on their kids loving / hating a certain OS? Feel free to drop your advice in comments below — let’s keep it intelligent, okay?

Ask Engadget: best desktop OS for kids? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 03 Sep 2011 23:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BERLIN — HTC unveiled two new smartphones at the IFA electronics conference in Germany on Thursday, the company’s first devices to run Microsoft’s revamp of the Windows Phone mobile platform, codenamed ‘Mango.’

First, the HTC Radar is a stylish white smartphone made with social networking in mind. Mango’s interface keeps you connected with every friend, contact and follower you have all around the world, with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn integration.

With a 5-megapixel back-facing camera complete with an f2.2 lens, LED flash and BSI sensor, the Radar lets you shoot wide, bright pictures even in the dark. The Radar has a dedicated camera button, a burst shot function to capture split second moments and a 1-GHz processor to do it as fast as you can imagine.

It’s also got the full range of standard smartphone sensors and connections; GPS, accelerometer, 3G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. And, of course, 5.1 surround sound for excellent audio playback.

Composed of an aluminum uni-body design, the Radar weights 137g, is 0.42 inches thick, 4.74 inches long and 2.42 wide.

The second phone, HTC’s Titan, is aptly named. The phone’s screen size measures in at a whopping 4.7-inches, larger than most any smartphone screens we’ve seen. Other specs aren’t exactly outstanding — 512 MB of RAM, 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera — but it’s obvious the Titan’s size is supposed to be the true star of the show.

Release dates and pricing details were not made available.