Hasta La Gadget!

What’s this? Two devices apparently of Microsoft origin in Verizon’s database prefixed by MSONE and MSTWO on the eve of Microsoft’s big presser — an event widely thought (and even announced) to be the unveiling of Project Pink. We’re also seeing Sharp, the Sidekick manufacturer named on the Turtle and Pure looking handsets that passed through the FCC. Really though, “One” and “Two?” Surely those words are just placeholders awaiting today’s event before getting properly named, right? Who knows… when you’re believed to be launching a competing platform against your own Windows Phone 7 OS while simultaneously keeping the WinMo 6.x dreams alive for businesses, hell, anything goes.

Update: 9 to 5 Mac is suggesting that the actual retail names of the devices will be Kin. As in next of, as in family. Since the company has an event in just a few hours, we’ll obviously know for certain very soon, but it does look likely given the use of Kin in the listing above.

Microsoft One and Two Project Pink phones appear in Verizon database? (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 06:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There aren’t many mass production options on the market when it comes to glasses-less 3D displays for Nintendo’s forthcoming 3DS handheld gaming console. And according to early leaks from Japan, the special Nintendo 3DS display is supposedly built by Hitachi and Sharp using a parallax barrier system. So guess where this new 3.4-inch, 480 x 854 pixel display is likely headed? While Sharp doesn’t say for sure, it’s a good bet that this parallax barrier 3D LCD will be fronting the user interface on the 3DS. Unlike the 3D displays you’ll find in modern 3D HDTVs requiring the viewer to wear active or passive glasses, Sharp’s display uses a parallax barrier system to create a sense of depth by using a series of vertical slits in an ordinary LCD to direct light to the right and left eyes. The panel offers a 500nit brightness, 1,000:1 contrast, and is available with or without a touchscreen. A non-touchscreen version of the display goes into mass production before June but there’s no specific mention of the touchscreen timeline (but we imagine it won’t be far behind). In other words, we could have a Nintendo 3DS on the market before the holidays. Just saying. Guess we’ll find out for sure at E3 in June.

Update: Akihabara News went eyes-on with the display and came away impressed with the colors and brightness. Better yet, it says, “Sharp succeed to do what Sony and Panasonic does with 3D Glasses!” Well, that sounds hopeful.

Nintendo 3DS to feature 3.4-inch Sharp parallax barrier display? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 01:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Let’s start with the obvious proviso here, the above image is so painfully easy to fake that even our computer illiterate grandparents could mock one up within a few minutes. That said, it’s purportedly a screenshot of a little oopsie by Google’s online store, which is said to have briefly displayed the Verizon option for Nexus One handsets as available to buy for $199 plus the relevant contractual shackles. We wouldn’t normally credit such unverifiable information, but then we’re also hearing from Soft Sailor that a highly trusted “inside” source of theirs is reporting that Verizon-carried, Sense-less Nexus Ones will be out and about “by the end of next week.” Given that the earlier mooted date of March 23 has now come and gone, we’re apprehensive about investing too much of ourselves in these rumors, but those supposed CDMA Nexus One shipments from HTC have to come out and play at some point, right?

[Thanks, Carson]

Update: jkOnTheRun has more insider info to share with us on this topic. James Kendrick’s people “in positions to know” tell him that the Verizon Nexus One will definitely show up in April, which meshes with the Spring timeframe we’ve already been given, but there’s also word about a “surprise” that other US carriers lack. Whether that refers to Sense-related enhancements or some other software optimizations, we’ll have to wait and see.

Verizon’s Nexus One could be arriving ‘by the end of next week’ (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Mar 2010 07:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’d heard buzzing for some time now around the internet that Apple planned to sell its iPad in more than just its own stores, and usually the name Best Buy was mentioned in the same breath… but now we’ve got some photographic evidence. The above shot comes from what looks to be an internal memo from the big box retailer, not only stating that the stores will be getting the iPad, but that they’ll be getting the iPad on launch day. Now, there’s no way for us to confirm that is 100 percent the real deal, but we speculated this could be coming back in mid-February, and there’s lots of corroborating evidence to suggest this is no joke (such as COO Tim Cook explicitly mentioning the device would be sold at Best Buy) — we just didn’t expect to see it day one. We’re digging for more info on this story, so stay tuned.

Update: Best Buy’s iPad playbook is certainly looking legit at this point. Our tipster sent us another two screenshots (they’re after the break) showing off BB’s new retail display which includes the iPad. Interestingly, they also tell us that the iPads are set to be delivered to stores on the night of April 2nd, and that quantities will be limited to about five of each model on launch. TUAW has also just published more of the playbook if you want to head over there and check it out.

Continue reading Leaked image says iPad lands at Best Buy… on launch day

Leaked image says iPad lands at Best Buy… on launch day originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 27 Mar 2010 12:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You may be seeing a rumor doing the rounds today about Palm throwing in the towel and moving to the Android platform as a means of survival — but just hang on. Most reports are citing an email that made its way to the inbox of what looks like every major tech outlet, stating that CEO Jon Rubinstein issued an internal memo to software developers at the company about the switch. The supposed memo quotes Jon as saying, “While Palm is incredibly proud of our engineers who spent timeless work and effort to bring us this advanced operating system, consumers simply have not caught on. To provide a better future for ourselves and our customers, the only logical choice is to transition our hardware and software to the Android platform.” The plan — according to this email — would be to create a kind of Sense UI-ish webOS interface on Palm devices, while leveraging Android’s market footprint. The anonymous emailer went on to say that the full memo would be made available on Wikileaks at midnight last night.

But guess what? Not only did the memo not appear at the stroke of 12, but when we picked up the phone and actually spoke to Palm, they had a pretty quick response. Their answer? Our sources at the company essentially laughed when they heard this news, and they emphatically stated that there was no memo, and no move internally towards Android. Furthermore, many of the reports are citing a bunk piece of news from Monday which erroneously stated that Palm had halted production — that news has also been refuted by the company. Admittedly, our minds reel at the concept of Android with a webOS UI, but until we get some real, verifiable evidence of that (and not just a random email), we’re going to assume it’s not happening. You should do the same.

Palm moving to Android to stay alive? Not according to Palm originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 10:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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