Hasta La Gadget!

We know, we know. You’re fit to be tied waiting for the complete Star Wars collection to be released on Blu-ray in September, but there’s good news for impatient iPad owners here in the US. You see, some of the collection’s bonus materials can be had for free a bit early — as in tomorrow — courtesy of the Star Wars Blu-ray: Early Access App. Even better, we’ve got video of the app in action plus a gallery of pics for you to drool over until you can download it yourself. And for folks abroad or those with an iPhone or iPod touch, the same sneak peek will be available in August.

The app itself is a ported version of what you’ll see on the Blu-ray discs, but there’s some added touchscreen functionality — pinch-to-zoom on the concept art and users can spin props and models with the flick of a finger in the “Collection” section. The app also lets you selectively download the content, so all that artwork and video won’t eat up an undue portion of your iPad’s memory. After getting handsy with it in person, we found the app easy to use and the content compelling (where else can you examine the Death Star up close?), but we were left wishing that there was a bit… more. Of course, the lion’s share of extras are reserved for the paying customers come September 16th — though we were disappointed to discover that, currently, there are no plans to make it all available on the app even if you buy the Blu-rays. Regardless, you get what you pay for, and that makes this gratis addition to the Star Wars universe a darn good deal.

Continue reading Hands-on with the Star Wars Blu-ray: Early Access iOS app

Hands-on with the Star Wars Blu-ray: Early Access iOS app originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 21:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What’s the difference between a case and a cover? The Korean company Anymode is provoking just that question with a Galaxy Tab 10.1 case (cover?) that looks awfully familiar. The Smart Case, as it’s known, comes in multiple colors, protects the tablet’s front, and folds into a triangular stand. You might be thinking that sounds remarkably like Apple’s Smart Cover, and if so, you’re not the only one. Ah, but the plot thickens: 9to5mac reports that the maker of this blatant knock-off has strong ties to Samsung. Family ties, even, as their tipster claims Sang-yong Kim, the Anymode CEO, is the nephew of Kun-Hee Lee, Sammy’s chairman. We couldn’t confirm any blood relation, which could mean we’re dealing with a cover-clone conspiracy theory. Either way, we suspect this’ll lead to more billable hours for Cupertino’s lawyers.

[Update: Samsung has responded on its official blog, distancing itself from Anymode’s product:

As a general practice, Samsung Electronics reviews and approves all accessories produced by partners before they are given the “Designed for Samsung Mobile” mark.

In this case, approval was not given to Anymode for the accessory to feature this official designation. We are working with Anymode to address this oversight and the product has already been removed from the Anymode sales website. The product has not been sold.

Thanks, Phil.]

Anymode’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 case cops Apple’s fashion sense (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 18:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here’s an interesting titbit: HP’s TouchPad has already begun to ship to speciality shops in the US, but for the pernickety among us, you may know that the company’s first webOS slate hasn’t actually hit the streets of Londontown. Until now, ole chap. The 16GB WiFi model is going for £399, while a doubling of capacity will tack on a few extra quid. It’s available now directly from HP’s webstore, but if mum always criticised your rampant online shopping sprees, we hear aeroplanes and coupés are colourful alternatives for acquisition.

Continue reading HP TouchPad goes on sale in the UK, starts at £399 for 16GB WiFi model

HP TouchPad goes on sale in the UK, starts at £399 for 16GB WiFi model originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Jul 2011 11:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Looking for something a bit different to replace your Galaxy Tab with? Can’t say for sure why such a yearning would be reasonable, but if we just rang your bell, Viewsonic’s got a newcomer that’s on sale now. Just a few months after passing through the FCC’s database, the ViewBook VB730 is now in stock over at Amazon, with $229.99 netting you a 7-inch slate with Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, WiFi, a 1GHz ARM Cortex-A8 processor, 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage space, a microSD card slot and an 800 x 480 screen resolution. Unfortunately, there’s no Android 3.2 to be found here; instead, Froyo’s listed as the OS of choice, but it’s fair to expect a bit of corner-cutting given that shockingly low price point. Hit the source if you’re sold.

Viewsonic ships 7-inch ViewBook VB730 tablet for $230, sticks with Android 2.2 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 03:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apparently, when Motorola was trying to figure out why its Xoom has struggled so mightily in against the iPad 2, the company didn’t focus on its high starting price or slightly heftier hardware. Instead, it decided the issue was the screen — in particular the format — and rumor has it that Moto is working on a new tablet (probably not the Xoom 2 we’ve glimpsed) that ditches the 16:9 ratio for the more square 4:3 found on Apple’s slate. Supposedly the non-widescreen device will sport an extremely pixel-dense 2048 x 1536, 10-inch display and run Ice Cream Sandwich when it lands later this year or early next. We’re not entirely convinced this will pan out and, honestly, we’ve always preferred the more more modern widescreen format — but, if the iPad sells with it’s old-school ratio we suppose it’s worth a shot.

Motorola rumored to be hard at work on high-res, 4:3 Ice Cream Sandwich tablet originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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