Toshiba’s Tegra 2-powered Android Smart Pad to be called Folio 100?

A Smart Pad? That’s just Toshiba’s product category, according to Netbook Italia’s latest post on the tablet (it’s previously shown off some apparent imagery). The publication has published new renders — including a dock peripheral — and some purported specs. Here’s what’s being said: Android 2.2, NVIDIA Tegra 2 (both of which we’ve heard in other whispers), a 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 screen, 16GB internal memory, 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth, 3G, SD and MMC card readers, HDMI and USB 2.0 ports, a 1.3 megapixel webcam, and a 1020mAh battery with a battery life of up to 7 hours with mixed use (browsing and video playback). Software-wise, it’s got Opera mobile browser, Flash 10.1, an e-book reader, and some office applications. The doubting Thomas in us still remains hesitant until Toshi gives the official word, but nothing here seems too crazy for the tablet mania most companies seem to have this year. One thing’s for sure, its claimed official name — Folio 100 — is a few degrees to close to some bad memories of ours.

Toshiba’s Tegra 2-powered Android Smart Pad to be called Folio 100? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Aug 2010 14:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceNotebook Italia  | Email this | Comments

Blockbuster filing for bankruptcy next month? Probably.

It’s not official, but rumor that Blockbuster is preparing to file for bankruptcy in September is certainly believable. Expected even. According to several sources speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Blockbuster chief executive Jim Keyes along with representation from Blockbuster’s senior debt holders met last week with the six major movie studios to announce the company’s intention to enter a mid-September bankruptcy. Meetings that no doubt hoped to secure an uninterrupted flow of new content from Hollywood as Blockbuster restructures its $920 million in debt and closes another 500 of its 3,425 US stores. In its fight to remain relevant in the age of digital downloads / streaming, Blockbuster has lost $1.1 billion since early 2008. It’s expected that Blockbuster’s debt holders will likely own a substantial portion of the company when all is said and done. We call dibs on those Archos 10 netbooks.

Blockbuster filing for bankruptcy next month? Probably. originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 01:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qualcomm job listing for iPhone dev guru sets internet absolutely aflutter

“The iPhone has no secret for you? Well, that’s what you think… join us and develop the most challenging product of your life!” So reads a now-removed job listing on Qualcomm’s website for an “iPhone Developer Guru” (still cached, thanks to Google). Responsibilities will include “iPhone software design and development but not restricted to it” as well as some Android and… oh, you’ve already jumped to conclusions, have you? The forerunners of CDMA technology asking for iPhone software engineering? Teasing with the most challenging product of your life? We wouldn’t fault for Qualcomm for a bit of boasting, and for all we know this could be much ado about nothing. Then again, we really don’t know anything, and this isn’t exactly some super clue in some giant mystery. Sorry, Encyclopedia Brown; don’t get your hopes up.

Qualcomm job listing for iPhone dev guru sets internet absolutely aflutter originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Apple Insider, Slash Gear  |  sourceQualcomm (cached)  | Email this | Comments

Samsung Fascinate shows up in Verizon warehouse manifest, destined for September launch?

While Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile customers have been enjoying their epic, vibrant and captivating Galaxy S variants for weeks, the only thing fascinating about Verizon’s take on the Samsung smartphone is how long it’s taken to arrive. Come September, however, that’s all liable to change, as a very familiar-looking SCH-I500 has just allegedly appeared in Verizon warehouse databases. Coupled with the fact that the MTV Music Video Awards (airing on September 12th) are now officially sponsored by “Samsung Fascinate a Galaxy S phone” and Verizon Wireless itself, we’re thinking it’s a safe bet that early September will find the 4-inch Super AMOLED handset on store shelves.

Samsung Fascinate shows up in Verizon warehouse manifest, destined for September launch? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Android Central, Boy Genius Report  |  sourcePhandroid, MTV Video Music Awards  | Email this | Comments

Possible iPod touch LCD and digitizer assembly compared to older gen, iPhone 4 (video)

Look who’s back. The LCD plus digitizer combo that we first laid eyes on last month seems to have leaked out again, still claiming it’ll be part of Apple’s upcoming (unannounced, but popular knowledge anyway) iPod touch 4th generation refresh. It continues to insist it’ll have a front-facing camera, pointing to the rounded hole in its forehead as evidence, and we’re now inclined to trust it that little bit more given the leaking site’s prior record. A visual inspection reveals it to have the same fused design as on the iPhone 4, which naturally invites speculation that the retina display will be pulling some PMP duty as well. Skip past the break to see the new screen side-by-side with Apple’s latest phone display and third-gen iPod touch hardware.

Continue reading Possible iPod touch LCD and digitizer assembly compared to older gen, iPhone 4 (video)

Possible iPod touch LCD and digitizer assembly compared to older gen, iPhone 4 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 06:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink NowhereElse.fr  |  sourceSmartPhoneMedic (YouTube)  | Email this | Comments

Apple holding a media event September 7, says Bloomberg

Not sure how exactly this slipped our neural net, perhaps it was added in a later update, but yesterday’s Bloomberg revelation about a potential Apple TV show rental service now also includes the following tip: Steve Jobs et al plan on hosting an event in San Francisco on September 7. This just so happens to be on a Tuesday and meshes perfectly with Apple’s annual Mac plus iPod touch promotion (which ends on the same day). Of course, we could’ve told you Apple would be holding an early September iPod refresh event this time last year — the real question is what else might be revealed during the keynote?

Apple holding a media event September 7, says Bloomberg originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 02:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink MacRumors  |  sourceBloomberg  | Email this | Comments

Rumors: The Inevitable Rise of the Touch-Screen iMac

touchscreen imac.jpg

The Apple rumor orgy is–again–in full effect. Patently Apple, the blog dedicated to sifting through mind-numbing patent applications to see what Apple may have coming down the line, reported that it may have sleuthed out plans for a touch-screen iMac.

For the record, just because Apple patents something doesn’t mean it is in the works. Remember the whispers late last year that the rumored iPad (still then thought to be called the iSlate) would have a tactile screen? Well, it didn’t. A tactile touch-screen Apple product may still be down the line (even though Toshiba of all companies beat Apple to it), but a patent doesn’t automatically mean an Apple press conference is forthcoming.

But that being said, was there any way Apple’s line of desktops or traditional laptops were not going to inevitably get a touch-screen interface? Could you really imagine after the hoopla of the iPad, iPhone, and iTouch we would still have iMacs utilizing traditional keyboards and mice. Frankly, I’m surprised it’s taken this long.

The device Singularity is coming, people. In another decade, the concept of “desktop,” “laptop,” “netbook,” “tablet,” “phones,” and maybe even “TV’s” will be rendered meaningless. There will only be “computers” and they will do a vast array of crazy, awesome things.

Toshiba reportedly prepping glasses-free 3DTV for Q4 launch

Hot news out of Japan if you’re an eager 3D beaver: a report from Toshiba’s home nation indicates that the company has three models of glasses-free 3D displays in the pipeline, which are being prepared for launch “before Christmas” at prices of “several thousand dollars” each. As you might recall, we got our first inkling about Toshiba Mobile Display’s multi-parallax technique back in April, which is when the above 21-inch panel was being touted along with promises of eliminating eye strain and widening 3D viewing angles. We suspect that by now Toshiba has put a slinky bezel on the thing and started thinking up alphanumeric product names for it, though do bear in mind that queries to its press office were deflected with the boilerplate “no comment” response.

Toshiba reportedly prepping glasses-free 3DTV for Q4 launch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Aug 2010 05:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nikon D7000 to be the D90’s spiritual (and actual) successor?

With the Nikon D3100 now official and out in the open, it’s time to tilt the rumor mills back towards a successor to the company’s much-loved D90. Nikon Rumors has a few morsels, including what it’s confident is the official name: D7000. (Rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?) No source is provided, so until we get something official, just use pencil to write it down on your wishlist. Got that? Good. The site also has a few other details that it’s less sure on… but just to tease: 100 percent viewfinder coverage (in contrast, the D90 has 96 percent) and dual memory card slots of some sort. Last we heard, the whispers pointed to a mid-September reveal with a 16 megapixel sensor, 1920 x 1080 HD video, and a $1200 price tag — tempting, but then again, that D3100 is looking mighty nice for the impatient consumer in us.

Nikon D7000 to be the D90’s spiritual (and actual) successor? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 19:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceNikon Rumors (1), (2), (3)  | Email this | Comments

Samsung Craft LTE phone spied enroute to MetroPCS?

These shots actually surfaced a few days ago buried in the depths of HowardForums, but given what we know of Samsung’s R900 Craft thus far — particularly the fact that it’ll be a non-smartphone — we have no reason to doubt that we’re looking at a prototype of it here. What makes the Craft most notable is that it’s slated to be MetroPCS’ first LTE-capable handset (and one of the first LTE handsets anywhere in the world) for its shiny new 4G network, and it looks like we can expect full sliding QWERTY along with the typical TouchWiz UI elements. We’d like to hate on this thing for not running Android or Windows Phone 7, but hey — it’s almost certainly going to be the first LTE phone to hit these shores, so we’re willing to cut it just an ounce of slack this once. The carrier’s first LTE markets are lighting up later this year, so we expect to see this with a whole lot less Blurrycam before too long.

Samsung Craft LTE phone spied enroute to MetroPCS? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista  |  sourceHowardForums  | Email this | Comments