Breakingnews -- Engadget

breakingnews posts

Slim PS3 update: mysterious Chinese firm issues a cease and desist... to Engadget

by Joshua Topolsky posted May 18th 2009 at 3:17PM

You know, one of these days, someone at one of these big companies is going to get this right. If you send a cease and desist about "leaked" photos of a supposed device, you're basically saying, "Hey guys, those pictures are real." Now, we can't tell you with 100 percent assurance that that's the case when it comes to those factory pics of rubber-gloved hands all over an apparently-new PS3 hardware design, but it doesn't help anyone's case when a Chinese company sends your Japanese wing a takedown notice. Keep in mind, since this thing isn't from Sony, we can't really be sure that it's the real deal, but we'll be honest -- things are starting to look mighty suspicious. Text of one of the charming messages after the break. We'll pause for comment now.

Gallery: Wild and slim PS3 redesign caught on camera?

Continue reading Slim PS3 update: mysterious Chinese firm issues a cease and desist... to Engadget

T-Mobile USA delays Android 1.5 rollout by a few days

by Chris Ziegler posted May 18th 2009 at 3:11PM

We knew it was too good to be true, eternal curmudgeonly pessimists that we are -- and sure enough, T-Mobile USA has put the kibosh on the start of its Android 1.5 rollout to G1 users. It seems that the build is still being "optimized" to "ensure optimal functionality and smooth delivery," which doesn't necessarily explain why T-Mobile UK users are already enjoying this stuff -- but then again, we're not the engineers and tech support folks that have to put up with the fallout from a failed launch. The carrier thinks everything will be delayed by about a week, which means that we're now looking at early June before everyone gets it.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Archos event June 11th: 5-inch Android tablet with voice expected

by Thomas Ricker posted May 18th 2009 at 4:59AM

This one's a bit of a stretch but totally plausible. Archos just announced a press conference in Paris on June 11th -- that's a fact. However, the choice of Android-green in the invite above has caused widespread speculation that we'll be getting a first peep at Archos' heavily rumored Android-based device. Remember, TI was kind enough to give us the full specs on a 10-mm thin Archos Internet Media Tablet "with all the functionalities of a premium smartphone" back in February. At that time, TI listed specs like a 5-inch high-resolution screen, Adobe Flash support, TV recording, HD playback, 500GB of storage, 7 hours of video playback off battery, voice and HSUPA data radio all powered by a smokin' OMAP3440 processor from TI. If true then we can expect to see the device hinted at in the invite launch in Q3.

[Via SlashGear, thanks Chris]

Read -- Archos Press event
Read -- Archos Internet Media Tablet [February 9th, 2009]

Sony confirms new Alpha 230, 330 and 380 mainstream DSLRs

by Paul Miller posted May 16th 2009 at 8:57PM

Sony's been pretty generous with the Alpha leaks in the run up to this launch, but it looks like this new trio of DSLRs for "first time" SLR buyers, the Alpha 230, 330 and 380, is ready to go. The press release confirms all of what we already knew, along with bringing word that the cameras will support SD/SDHC cards in addition to Sony's still-kicking Memory Stick format. The best news is in pricing, however: the shooters will retail in two different kit types, with the L-series cams ringing in at $550, $650 and $850, respectively, when paired with the SAL-1855 standard zoom lens. The Y kit series adds a second lens, the telephoto SAL-55200, along with bumping the kit price $200 across the board. Pre-orders will start on May 18th, with the cameras becoming available in July. Oddly, while parts of the press site are live, the press shots are still on lockdown, beyond a nice stack of thumbnails -- we'll keep you posted.

[Via Photo Rumors]

Tony Hawk's new 'Ride' game includes motion-sensing skateboard controller for shredding your mom's new carpet

by Paul Miller posted May 15th 2009 at 9:08AM

We'd heard rumblings that Tony Hawk was working on something with motion controls -- which seems only natural after EA's Skate hit the scene with its intuitive Flickit control scheme, and Shaun White's game put the Wii's Balance Board to good use, both making the Tony Hawk method of arcade-style button mashing feel a little dated. Well, Tony's new Ride is looking to change all that, with a skateboard peripheral that looks like... a skateboard. It's hard to tell from just looking at it how precisely interactive the controller will be -- it seems basic balancing and leaning would be in, while Christ Air-ing your little sister in the face wouldn't go over so well. According to the man himself, Hawk is quite good at the game, and skateboarders should find the transition easy. A promo video is after the break, and apparently on June 2nd we'll be seeing this thing in action.

Update: We added another video after the break, including video of the actual board in action. Turns out the motion controls are quite detailed, and in advanced modes even allow for in-place 180s, but nothing seems to involve lifting the board actually off the ground. Grabs can be performed by actually grabbing the edge of the board, with infrared sensors picking up your hand position, and pushing is performed by running your foot along the side of the board. Ollies and flip tricks are obviously going to be a bit different than the real deal, while manuals and steering are pretty much spot on, and apparently there's a lot of choice as to how much "realism" you'd like in controlling the thing. Tony Hawk also sees the controller as a "standard," which could work with snowboarding games, surfing games, exercise games and other assorted cash cows for Activision.

Gallery: Tony Hawk's 'Ride' motion-sensing skateboard in action

[Via Joystiq]

Continue reading Tony Hawk's new 'Ride' game includes motion-sensing skateboard controller for shredding your mom's new carpet

Exclusive BlackBerry Storm 2 shots!

by Jacob Schulman posted May 14th 2009 at 11:44PM

What's this we have here? A trusted source just hit us with a slew of beauty shots of the Storm 2 that leaked a little bit ago. Not much else to say at this point until we can get one in our hands -- the photos really speak for themselves. But seriously, what are you still doing here? Get over to the gallery and see all the tasty (and frankly, familiar) shots!

[Thanks, BBninja1389]

Gallery: Exclusive BlackBerry Storm 2 shots!

Samsung Jack comes to AT&T on May 19, $99.99 on contract

by Chris Ziegler posted May 14th 2009 at 10:37AM

The BlackJack II's been looking a little long in the tooth for a while now, and it's been made pretty clear that the Epix isn't the direct replacement -- so what is? Behold the i637 Jack (not to be confused with the... uh, Jack), which has just been made official with a 3.2 megapixel camera and video recording, AGPS, WiFi, microSD expansion, 256MB of RAM, triband HSDPA / quadband EDGE, and the all-too-typical QVGA display. Like its forebears, the Jack naturally features a full QWERTY keyboard; it'll launch with Windows Mobile 6.1 but will be fully upgradeable to 6.5. Look for it in stores on May 19 for $99.99 on a new two-year contract after rebate. AT&T's already got a unit (not to say that should come as any surprise) and they're showing it off on video -- check it out after the break.

Continue reading Samsung Jack comes to AT&T on May 19, $99.99 on contract

Wild and slim PS3 redesign caught on camera?

by Paul Miller posted May 14th 2009 at 9:52AM

Not that the original was any sort of tame, but some new, incredibly grainy leaked shots of a PS3 "slim," if they prove legitimate, point to a pretty wild redesign in store for the console in the near future -- not to mention what would be one of the smallest Blu-ray devices we've seen yet. There seem to be a lot of similarities to the Slimline PS2, while still holding onto that curvature the PS3 is so well known for, and even squeezing in a slot-loading disc drive and 120GB hard drive. Of course, Sony has issued a pretty strong denial of existing PS3 slim rumors, stating that "We currently don't have any plans for a redesigned PS3 at this time," but that's a pretty common way for Sony to deal with rumors, no matter which way they fall. We'll probably have to wait until E3 to learn the real truth, but it's a good bet this won't be the last true or false rumor to hit about a real or fake console in the run-up to the show. At least this one's packing pictures.

[Via Engadget Spanish; thanks Jason N.]

Gallery: Wild and slim PS3 redesign caught on camera?

Toshiba's Dynabook SS RX2 with world's first 512GB SSD

by Thomas Ricker posted May 14th 2009 at 1:10AM

With 512GB SSDs already announced it was just a matter of time until OEMs slapped that slim slab of solid state silicon into a laptop. Now our patience has paid off with Toshiba's 12.1-inch Dynabook SS RX2/WAJ; a world's first laptop to feature Toshiba's own 512GB SSD. Oh sure, ASUS announced its S121 with 512GB SSD back at CES but Toshiba's laptop is the first to actually ship. Remember, the Core 2 Duo SU9400-based SS RX2 is already the mother of ultra-portable badassery with a 12-hour battery stuffed into a slim 19.5 ~ 25.5mm sled weighing just 1.1-kg (less than 2.5-pounds). But with the SSD alone priced at about $1,500, well, you can guess how much the SS RX2 will cost configured (hint: over $4,000).

Update: As noted by tipster Grovester, the US version of this RX2 -- the Portege R600-ST4203 -- with the same 512GB SSD lists for just $2,999. Not bad.

Update 2: Toshiba contacted to let us know that the $2,999 listing (see Google cache) was apparently a mistake -- the real price is $3,499. Not so good.

Intel fined record $1.45 billion in AMD antitrust case

by Thomas Ricker posted May 13th 2009 at 5:32AM

The verdict is in and it's huge. As expected, the EU is fining Intel a record €1.06 billion or $1.45 billion (Billion!) dollars due to violations of antitrust rules in Europe. The record fine surpasses that of the €497 million fine originally levied against Microsoft. The EU ruled that Intel illegally used hidden rebates to squeeze rivals out of the marketplace for CPUs. In a statement issued by European Union Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes, the EC said,

Intel has harmed millions of European consumers by deliberately acting to keep competitors out of the market for computer chips for many years.

Intel was ordered to cease the illegal practices immediately and has three months from the notification of the decision to pay up. Of course, Intel will appeal and this will drag the litigation on for years as did Microsoft. Regardless, we'll bet that AMD, who raised the complaint against Intel back in 2000, will be celebrating come dawn in Sunnyvale.

Update: Intel has issued a formal response to the ruling saying that the commission "is wrong and ignores the reality of a highly competitive microprocessor marketplace," and that its practices have caused, "absolutely zero harm to consumers." Oh, and it will <gasp> appeal the decision. Hurrah for corporate lawyers!

[Via Canada.com]

Sony's X-series OLED Walkman now priced in real American dollars, ships mid-June

by Thomas Ricker posted May 13th 2009 at 4:51AM

Sony has yet to offer us official US pricing or availability on its eagerly awaited X-series of OLED Walkmans. As such, we have to grasp at whatever bits of desperate information we can as this 3-inch Walkman with built-in noise cancellation makes its way West following the Japanese launch. Amazon lists the little guy at $399.95 (32GB) and $299.95 (16GB) which just happens to be the same pricing as Apple's iPod touch, for whatever that's worth. It's not in stock but you can pre-order now if dare.

Update: And just like that, it's official. Sony's 16GB NWZ- X1051 with 32GB NWZ- X1061 will be priced $299 and $399, respectively, when they go on sale nationwide Stateside in mid-June. As a surprise, they'll also feature embedded apps for YouTube and Slacker Radio for all the free video and audio you can consume over WiFi.

[Via OLED-Info]

Apple OS X 10.5.7 released, updating to ensue

by Joshua Topolsky posted May 12th 2009 at 4:14PM

That's right Mac lovers -- your mildest dreams have come true. A new update of OS X is now available via your friendly Software Update window... a little something Apple likes to call 10.5.7. What are you waiting for? You know you love updates. Full list of fixes / tweaks after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Apple OS X 10.5.7 released, updating to ensue

Microsoft's latest ad: iTunes and the iPod are crazy expensive

by Nilay Patel posted May 11th 2009 at 6:58PM

We've been wondering when we'd see the next Laptop Hunters ad from Microsoft, but it looks like the company's throwing a change-up: its latest 30-second spot features Wes Moss, Certified Financial Planner, explaining that iTunes "costs a lot" while Zune Pass "costs a little." The argument, of course, is that at a buck a song (or more), filling up your iPod costs way more than the $15 / month cost of the Zune subscription service, but we've got a feeling that Wes just won't convince as many people as Lauren and Giampaulo -- while we certainly think Zune Pass is a great deal, especially with the 10 free tracks a month now included, most people have plenty of music from all kinds of sources already, and an additional monthly bill in the current economy doesn't seem all too appealing. Plus, well, this argument has never really worked for services like Yahoo and Rhapsody in the past, so we're not sure it's going to work now. But that's just us -- we're sure you've got your own opinions, so check out the vid after the break and sound off.

P.S. If Wes looks familiar it's because he was a contestant on Donald Trump's The Apprentice. He was fired.

[Via Ars Technica; thanks Travis and Michael S.]

Continue reading Microsoft's latest ad: iTunes and the iPod are crazy expensive

T-Mobile G1 revision revealed?

by Chris Ziegler posted May 8th 2009 at 1:57PM

If this looks vaguely familiar, that's because it likely is -- we suspect this image out of Boy Genius Report is a newer (or older) render of the "G1 v2" called out on the recently-leaked Android roadmap out of T-Mobile. It'd make sense -- by October, when this is allegedly hitting retail for $150-ish, the G1 will be getting long in the tooth. What's more, this sucker's clearly running Android, and it's a whole hell of a lot better-looking. More on this as it develops, of course, but in the meantime, that myTouch is looking just a bit less appealing, isn't it?

Nokia N97 pre-order falls to $524.25 in the US

by Chris Ziegler posted May 8th 2009 at 3:01AM

Yes, technology tends to fall in price as it ages, but is the still-unreleased N97 prematurely getting on in the years or something? Did we miss that memo? Nokia USA is already blowing out N97 pre-orders for $174.75 off the $699 retail price after having originally gone up for sale just earlier this week -- and you still get a free BH-703 headset thrown in for good measure. Considering that this means you're getting the most full-featured device Nokia has ever made for the same price as a NAM E75, it seems like a no-brainer; hurry up, though, because we suspect this discount is a limited-time sort of deal.

[Thanks, Trudy]

Update: With code CARTP409N, the price falls to a ridiculously low $454. Seriously, what's up with the fire sale? Thanks, Lee!

Update 2: Sadly, the code's no longer working, but it seems like Nokia may honor pricing for those that ordered -- here's hoping. Thanks, everyone!