Hasta La Gadget!

Hey, we’re growing kind of close to that “summer” release window for HP’s marquee mobile devices, aren’t we? Playboy Magazine sure thinks so, as its latest issue (June) comes with pricing for the Pre 3 and Touchpad, information we haven’t yet heard from anywhere else. The 3.6-inch smartphone with a sliding keyboard is expected to land at the industry-standard $200 on contract, while its 9.7-inch tablet brandmate should make itself available for $500 without any subsidies. These numbers are stated authoritatively, as if already known, though we’d still urge a note of caution until HP itself blurts the prices out. Skip past the break to see evidence of the Touchpad pricing as well.

Update: False alarm, people. The author of the Playboy article — yes, Playboy reads Engadget, apparently — got in touch with us to say that the numbers quoted were just price estimates rather than concrete insider intel. Oh darn.

Continue reading HP Touchpad and Pre 3 pricing revealed… by Playboy Magazine (update: just estimates)

HP Touchpad and Pre 3 pricing revealed… by Playboy Magazine (update: just estimates) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 15 May 2011 17:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The day every fan of 7-inch Android tablets has been waiting for has finally arrived. HTC has just announced widespread availability across Europe of its 1.5GHz Flyer. Pricing is set at £600 / €649 for the 3G-equipped 32GB variant or £480 / €499 for the one with only WiFi and 16GB on board — though local carriers are offering subsidized pricing as low as £129 on contract. The contentious capacitive stylus, now dubbed the Magic Pen, will be shipping in each and every box, so you don’t have to worry about ponying up extra for it. The HTC store linked below still offers only pre-orders, but HTC promises that there will be aluminum unibodies hitting shelves today.

Continue reading HTC Flyer available across Europe today, £600 for 3G, £480 for WiFi-only version

HTC Flyer available across Europe today, £600 for 3G, £480 for WiFi-only version originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 05:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It looks like rare earth elements are getting slightly less rare. According to a research note released by Goldman Sachs today, the world’s rare earth supply deficit will probably reach its apex this year, before converting into a surplus by 2013. Goldman’s analysts constructed their projections based on evidence that many Western companies have begun building their own mines, in response to China’s overwhelming market dominance. Today, the People’s Republic produces about 90-percent of the world’s rare earth minerals — a group of 17 elements that are used to manufacture many of the flat screen TVs, hybrids and cellphones we’ve come to know and love. Over the course of the past few years, China has only consolidated its hold on the industry, thanks to economic policies aimed at nationalizing private mines and implementing restrictive export quotas. As a result, global rare earth prices have skyrocketed, forcing mining companies in the US and elsewhere to look inward and harvest their own deposits. The only downside, however, is that even if global supply spills into a surplus within the next two years, prices probably won’t cool down until 2015. But at least the horizon looks brighter than it has in recent months.

Global rare earth supply deficit should turn into a surplus by 2013, Goldman Sachs says originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 May 2011 15:37:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Turns out our snooping was spot on — Nintendo has just made official its intention to drop the suggested retail price of the Wii down to $149.99, and will additionally include a copy of Mario Kart and the Wii Wheel peripheral with all purchases of the console. They’ll replace the current bundle of Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort games. The steering wheel, along with the Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuk controllers, will match the color of the console you buy, whether it be black or white, and will also be available to buy separately for a scant $9.99. See Nintendo’s full press release after the break.

Continue reading Nintendo drops Wii price to $150 from May 15th, throws in a free Wii Wheel and copy of Mario Kart

Nintendo drops Wii price to $150 from May 15th, throws in a free Wii Wheel and copy of Mario Kart originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 May 2011 03:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No sense in beating around the proverbial bush — we’re huge fans of Xcom Global’s business model, and frankly, we’re saddened that every single nation in the world isn’t yet included in its list of supported countries. For those hearing the name for the first time, you’ll be doing yourself a solid by catching up with our review of the service, which enables jetsetters to rent MiFis or USB WWAN devices for international destinations before taking off. The end result is an always-on data connection for a reasonable fee (read: no roaming), and it looks as if those fees are about to shrink in the coming months.

The company has informed us that it’ll be previewing “membership pricing” starting next month, giving consumers the ability to pick up a MiFi for $14.95 per day or a USB WWAN dongle for $12.95 per day. The real story, however, is this: second MiFis for two-country itineraries will no longer incur an additional fee, and if you’re setting out on a bona fide Eurotrip, every MiFi beyond that will ring up as a flat $30 fee regardless of trip length. We’re told that the pricing scheme will be fully revealed in June, and that it’s a permanent endeavor as opposed to a trial run. Membership itself will also be free, and while we’re still holding out hope that Xcom can nail down a global MiFi solution, these pricing tweaks will certainly make it easy to nation-hop while across the pond.

Xcom Global’s international MiFi rentals getting cheaper, Eurotrips making a comeback originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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