Hasta La Gadget!

Verizon can’t be feeling too hot about being the straggler to the Galaxy S party, but the wait seems to be almost at an end. Best Buy’s just started taking in-store pre-orders for the Fascinate, while the latest internal document leak from VZW indicates a specific September 9 launch for the 4-inch Android handset. That’s when you should be able to snap the Fascinate up along with a prepaid data plan from Big Red, which fits in nicely with earlier unsanctioned disclosures on the matter. Either way, Samsung’s quest to conquer all networks with its Super Gorilla phone will be coming to a victorious end pretty soon.

[Thanks, Brian G.]

Samsung Fascinate ready for Best Buy in-store pre-order ahead of rumored September 9 launch originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We don’t need to explain in any great detail just how badly the world needs another e-reader and tablet option, but you’re wasting your time wishing for fewer selections. Case in point: Velocity Micro has just placed its Cruz Reader and Cruz Tablet up for pre-order at Borders, with both units boasting 7-inch displays and seductive price points. The Reader is going for $199.99 and should ship out by the end of next month, while the Tablet is $100 more and could be at your doorstep a fortnight before Halloween. Hit the source link if you’re in desperate need of a specifications reminder, but be sure and hide that credit card if you’re looking to avoid any and all impulse buys. Press release after the break.

[Thanks, Charles]

Continue reading Velocity Micro Cruz Reader and Tablet up for pre-order at Borders

Velocity Micro Cruz Reader and Tablet up for pre-order at Borders originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Half a year ago, you’d have been forgiven for expecting that today both Windows 7 and Mac OS X would have flagship tablets representing them, in the shape of the HP Slate and the Apple iPad. Alas, one of those devices ran away to enterprise land and the other opted for a mobile OS. It’s against this backdrop of disappointment that Axon’s Haptic tablet enters, with confirmation that its Atom-based innards are fully compatible with Linux, Windows and Mac operating environments. With a 10.1-inch resistive touchscreen, 320GB HDD, 2GB of RAM, and a trio of USB ports, it’s another of those devices you could classify as a keyboard-less netbook, but at least its OS versatility will give it a leg up. Then again, with a pre-order price of $750 and no bundled OS licenses, we suspect it might need a little more than that to succeed where so many have failed.

Axon Logic’s Haptic tablet can run a desktop’s OS, has a desktop’s price originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 04:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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All together now: “Finally!” At long last, the leaks are being plugged by none other than Verizon itself, who today confirmed that the Droid 2 is more than just a figment of everyone’s imagination. Shortly after hamstringing the Froyo update for the original Droid, Big Red is tossing a tempting upgrade all up in your grille, as the Droid 2 ships with Android 2.2, mobile hotspot (a $20 / month add-on), Flash Player 10.1 and a revised QWERTY keyboard. It also ships with Swype pre-installed, though we’d prefer Swiftkey thrown in for good measure. You already know the specs by now — a 3.7-inch multitouch display, 5 megapixel camera, DLNA streaming, 8GB of onboard memory and a 8GB microSD card — but what you haven’t known is the on sale date. VZW is putting this gem up for pre-sale tomorrow at $199.99 on a 2-year contract, with in-store availability locked for Thursday.

In other news, that R2-D2 edition Droid 2 we told you about last month is legit, and we’re having a hard time containing our excitement just dreaming about the design. Said phone will be available online only in September, and it’ll ship with “exclusive Star Wars content and external hardware designed to look like the trusty Droid from the film saga.” We’re guessing these will sell out in no time flat, but there’s no price being divulged just yet. Oh, and if you’re wondering how on Earth you’re going to swing this upgrade, Verizon’s allowing any customer with a contract ending by December 31, 2010 to upgrade now (to any other smartphone, including the Droid 2) sans penalty. Sheesh guys, you shouldn’t have!

Update: The R2-D2 edition portal has gone live. And yes, if you click this link, you will hear R2-D2 say “Droid!” Too bad there aren’t any images of the handset, though. Thanks, Eric!

Continue reading Motorola Droid 2 (and R2-D2 edition!) finally official: Android 2.2, Swype, $200 on contract

Motorola Droid 2 (and R2-D2 edition!) finally official: Android 2.2, Swype, $200 on contract originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 09:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re guessing that the past six months have dragged on (or zipped by, depending on viewpoint) for the folks at Infinitec as they waited for this day, but the device we first spotted at the Engadget trailer during CES 2010 is finally up for pre-order. Hailed as the world’s first “infinite USB flash drive,” this ad hoc streaming device enables any two locally networked devices to send content to one another, and as of today, those who have longed for just this thing can get in line. The startup’s also taking this opportunity to gloat about the “dual-WiFi” capabilities included (a video explanation awaits you past the break), which essentially enables an IUM-equipped laptop to connect to another device while retaining its live connection to the web. Hit the source link to part ways with your $129, and if you buy in early, you’ll be gifted with gratis worldwide shipping come August 31st. And you can’t beat that deal with a stick, USB or otherwise.

Continue reading Infinitec opens pre-orders for ‘infinite’ USB memory drive, touts dual-WiFi

Infinitec opens pre-orders for ‘infinite’ USB memory drive, touts dual-WiFi originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 22:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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