Hasta La Gadget!

Curious timing, no? Just last month, Google’s own Eric Schmidt revealed that the Nexus S (manufactured by none other than Samsung) would have “NFC features,” and he even went on to proclaim that this kind of technology would eventually supplant the tried-and-true credit card. Today, Sammy itself has revealed a new near field communications (NFC) chip with embedded flash memory, and we’re told that this guy remains active for mobile payment even without battery power. Of course, we’re still waiting for a confirmed price and release date for the aforesaid smartphone, but could Samsung’s NFC mass production date of Q1 2011 be the clue we’ve been yearning for? Fingers and toes crossed, okay everyone?

Continue reading Samsung cooks up its own NFC module, destined for the Nexus S?

Samsung cooks up its own NFC module, destined for the Nexus S? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 13:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As far as 3D goes, we can still take it or leave it, but what’s really got us intrigued about Cowon‘s latest effort is the promise of full 1080p video playback. Ally that to a HDMI output and up to 64GB of flash storage and you’ve got yourself a pretty potent portable media station. The Cowon 3D PMP offers an 800 x 480 resolution on its own 4.8-inch display — which is touted as the world’s first 3D visualizer on a PMP that doesn’t require glasses — plus a battery rated to last for 10 hours of video, 45 hours of audio and up to 300 hours on standby. And, in an upgrade from the recent X7, this new device also has WiFi connectivity! Launch is scheduled for December 10th in Cowon’s backyard of South Korea, with prices coming in at KRW499,000 ($431) for the 32GB-equipped 3D PMP and KRW589,000 ($509) for the 64GB version.

[Thanks, Kunal]

Cowon 3D is the 1080p-playing, 4.8-inch PMP that just jumps out at you originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 30 Nov 2010 03:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The possibilities teased in 2009 by Wi-Fi Direct have probably kept Bluetooth up at night, and we’re sure the commencement of device certification last month hasn’t helped, either. Now the LG BD960 has emerged as the first Blu-ray player on the Wi-Fi Direct certification list, hinting direct P2P communication in our home theaters among WiFi devices (without the need for a routing middleman) could soon go from fiction to fact. Unfortunately, mum’s still the word on shipping and pricing. The mere chance however that the player could stream content to any other WiFi-equipped device — Direct certified or not — is a big enough deal to give our dedicated media streamers Defarge-like glances already. Particularly, if the BD960 comes packed with features similar its suspected predecessor the LG-BD390, which can stream both Netflix, Vudu, and DLNA network content, as well as play DivX HD 1080p content. Until more details surface though, we’ll simply have to keep reminding our poor Galaxy S that it isn’t destined to be alone in this cold, cruel world forever.

LG BD690 is the first Blu-ray player certified for Wi-Fi Direct, keeps Bluetooth paranoid originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Nov 2010 02:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tethering a smartphone to get data on the go is a great way to stay online without lugging around a separate device. However, lugging around a separate device exclusively for the purpose of tethering your phone seems a bit less great, especially when that device must be plugged into a wall. Such is the Nexaria BC2, an 802.11b/g/n router that can be connected to compatible iPhones (namely the 3G, 3GS, and 4). Pop one in and, assuming you’re paying AT&T the requisite extra $20 a month, it’ll start beaming sweet, sweet internets out to all of your devices. Performance naturally depends on the strength of your signal, but getting a couple megabits down and one megabit up are entirely believable and respectable, though ping rates in the hundreds of milliseconds ensure you won’t be racking up the headshots when connected thusly. It’s yours for $189 right now if you’re feeling the need.

Continue reading Nexaria BC2 router supports iPhone tethering for some reason (video)

Nexaria BC2 router supports iPhone tethering for some reason (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 16:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Can you feel the iOS 4.2 anticipation building? After all, it’s not every day your tablet computer gets upgraded to multitasking. Apple just seeded a new gold master of iOS 4.2 to developers (build 8C134b, as opposed to 8C134), which deals with the WiFi issue that apparently delayed the launch. As long as this build is free of any more killer bugs, that new copy of iOS should make its way to proletariat hardware soon — though obviously this week looks like a no-go.

Apple outs new iOS 4.2 gold master that fixes iPad’s WiFi woes originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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