Hasta La Gadget!

Microsoft seems to have caught the hardware tinkering bug. Having overhauled its Xbox 360 design, the software giant is now said to be keeping busy in the lab working on the console’s controller. Such is the word coming from our buddies over at Joystiq, whose reliable source indicates that Redmond will soon produce a new 360 controller with a redesigned D-pad. As the story goes, when you rotate the directional pad ninety degrees, it’ll rise up by about a quarter of an inch, making it more accessible for those that still care to use it (e.g. fighting game fans). No details on what sort of bundled or standalone retail fate this little guy may have, but the holidays are its unsurprising destination. We just hope the Bond-esque mechanism comes with an appropriately futuristic swooshing sound.

Xbox 360 to get fresh controller, better D-pad in time for the holidays? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve seen these kinds of Verizon launch decks before, so we tend to believe the September 8 date we’re seeing for the Fascinate here is legit — granted, Wednesday is an odd day to launch a phone, but not a lot weirder than the Thursday, September 9 date we’d had before. Either way, it’s looking like a sure thing that we’re going to see this on shelves come next week, completing Sammy’s impressive four-way coup to get its high-end Galaxy S line launched on all of the US nationals. Like the Droid 2 and Droid X, the Fascinate will feature Blockbuster Mobile to let you download full-length movies on the go — in other words, that’s a feature that won’t be a Droid brand exclusive — and Bing search will be installed out of the box, giving Microsoft a fun little foothold in Google’s kingdom. So, who’s buying? And while we’re on the subject, why isn’t this thing called the “Droid Fascinate?”

[Thanks, Bryan]

Samsung Fascinate launching on September 8? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve been wondering about this oddly intriguing mini Motorola portrait slider since we saw it back in July, and a new set of leaked photos today hasn’t done anything to diminish our curiosity, since that keyboard looks pretty amazing. The reappearance of the red Droid eye seems to indicate this one’s eventually destined for Verizon, but we’ll see — we’re curious about the XT300 name being used in this photo set, which ties in with Moto’s GSM naming scheme, and Verizon’s reserved the Droid name for higher-end sets so far, while this thing looks like a mid-range Blur phone to us. Video after the break — and more photos and vids at the source link.

[Thanks, Thomas]

Continue reading Motorola XT300 mini portrait slider leaks out in clearer photos

Motorola XT300 mini portrait slider leaks out in clearer photos originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re but a few days away from Apple’s music-related “special event,” and naturally the bloody rumors are being tossed into the water, frothing up into quite a feeding frenzy. Last week came talk of new iPod touch and nano models, and now we have even more cases and accessories that seem to back up the belief that there’s a fourth-generation touch and a sixth-generation nano coming. The nano is rumored to have a 3 x 3cm touchscreen (presumably this one) and room on the bottom for a proper dock connector, ensuring compatibility with the millions of iPod cradles and whatnot out there. The new cases we’re seeing certainly back up that idea, with a dock-sized cut-out along with room for what’s said to be a headphone jack, volume controls, a hold button, and a clip ’round the back. At the moment we know rather less about the new touch, but we can hazard a guess as to what it’ll look like.

[Thanks, Hobbsy101]

Next-generation iPod touch and nano accessories and rumors continue to surface originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve already heard some rumors for both Nikon’s Coolpix P7000 point-and-shoot and its supposed D90-successor, the D7000, but it looks like things are unexpectedly heating up a bit further ahead of Photokina next month. According to Nikon Rumors, the two announcements will supposedly be split up, with the P7000 set to be announced along with some other Coolpixes on September 8th, while the D7000 will be announced on September 15th alongside at least two new lenses and a new Speedlight. As before, the P7000 is still expected to actually drop in resolution to 10-megapixels, and pack some RAW shooting capabilities, 720p video shooting, a 28-200mm equivalent zoom lens, and a 3-inch LCD. Details are still comparatively light on the D7000, but Nikon Rumors has previously suggested that it would boast 100% viewfinder coverage and dual memory card slots.

Nikon Coolpix P7000, D7000 DSLR rumored to be launching September 8th, 15th originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 29 Aug 2010 11:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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