Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Live from Apple's summer Mac product press conference

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8:51AM (all times in PST): Well, we're here... And we're a bit early. Not too many folks waiting around; we'll let you know as they start admitting.


9:27AM: Plenty of people here now, the usual suspects -- gadgetrati VIPs and, well, little old us. Admission in about 15 minutes!

9:36AM: Consensus of experts polled: "New iMacs, definitely." "It's a slam dunk." Well, there you have it, proof positive.

9:38AM: Okay, we're headed in! ...but only to wait some more inside. Follow the rest of our coverage after the break...

Continue reading Live from Apple's summer Mac product press conference

 

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

[via] Engadget

Apple calls multitouch Mac a "research project"

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So we didn't get the multitouch iMac today that some might have been hoping for, but Steve Jobs did drop one tasty hint about the oft-rumored technology. During the Q&A portion of today's keynote, somebody referred the iPhone's multitouch sensing and asked, "what about for the Mac?" Steve, surprisingly, replied. "Makes sense for the iPhone, not sure it makes sense in the Mac. Classify that as a research project." So there you have it, straight from the horse's mouth: Apple is at least considering letting you get all touchy touchy with your Mac's screen, and you can't ask for much more than that, right?

 

[via] Engadget

Apple Store is down

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This time we have a sneaky suspicion it won't be a false alarm. Easy money is on new iMacs and an iLife refresh popping up in an hour or two.

Update, as of 2:57PM: It was up for a few minutes, but now it's down again. Seems these "Mac" things are rather popular with the kids these days. Peep the hilarity above.

Update 2, 3:25PM: Up then down then up and so on. We'll let you know when it's up for real.

Update 3, 4:05PM: Still a few kinks, but it seems to be up at last.

 

[via] Engadget

Apple's new iMac and keyboard: first hands-on

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Aight, we just got our hands on the new 4th generation iMac and its wired and wireless Bluetooth keyboards. What can we say, it's all super sexy. Unfortunately we're not too partial to the MacBook square-key grid layout, and we really, REALLY wish Apple would get rid of the Jay Leno chin on the iMac already, but check out the pics and see for yourself.

 

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

[via] Engadget

Apple's new wireless keyboard hits the FCC

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Well somebody's on the ball today. Not even two hours after the announcement of Apple's new Bluetooth 2.0 wireless keyboard and the FCC's got it all approved to send 2.4GHz waves through your brain and the brains of your children. Unfortunately, they only got a pic of the keyboard's backside. That gold coloring? Our guess is the FCC's camera caught the colors wrong, but who knows, Apple could be bribing 'em with gold-plated peripherals to speed up that approval process.

Continue reading Apple's new wireless keyboard hits the FCC

 

[via] Engadget

Lenovo, Acer reportedly sizing up Packard Bell

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Packard Bell may not have the most illustrious of histories, but that hasn't stopped the company from attracting a number of potential suitors over the years. Now it seems that two more companies are eying the old school brand, although both seem to be far from a done deal. The first, and apparently further along of the two, is Lenovo, which has announced that it's entered a "Memorandum of Understanding" with an unnamed "independent third party" to purchase the PC maker. According to Reuters, Lenovo would use Packard Bell to give a boost to its European business. The other company in the mix is Acer which, as Reuters reports, said in April that it was planning to buy a PC company in three to five months. Recent speculation, however, has pegged Packard Bell as Acer's target, although it has yet to get as official as Lenovo with its intent.

Read
- Reuters, "PC makers Lenovo, Acer eyeing Packard Bell: report"
[via] Engadget

Motorola intros MOTOMAGX mobile Linux platform

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On the same day that Palm names Wind River Systems as its preferred Linux provider, Motorola has gone and unveiled a new mobile Linux platform of its own. The "next-generation" MOTOMAGX package is supposed to "lay the foundation to deliver new levels of openness, flexibility, and support for third-party applications on Motorola mobile devices." Notably, Moto also stated that up to 60-percent of its handsets would be based on Linux "in the next few years," and announced that the MOTOROKR Z6 and RAZR2 V8 mobiles would be the first two based on the platform. Best of all, developers interested in creating applications for the MOTOMAGX platform using Java ME can get their hands dirty today by downloading the corresponding MOTODEV Studio, and be on the lookout for WebUI and "native Linux plug-ins" to be available to "select" individuals by the end of Q4.

 

[via] Engadget

16GB Creative ZEN V Plus hits North America

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Right on cue, Creative's beefed-up 16GB ZEN V Plus has made its way from Singapore to our shores, offering twice the capacity of the company's previous top-end model. Otherwise, the player appears to be identical to others in the line (apart from a new black and white color scheme), boasting a 1.5-inch OLED display, a built-in FM radio, and support for MP3, WMA, WAV and Audible audio formats, along with uncompressed AVI video. It's also somewhat less expensive than the straight currency conversion from Creative's Singapore site suggested, with it now officially setting you back $250.

[Thanks, Roofus]

 

[via] Engadget

SPOT personal GPS tracker: the argonaut's lifeline

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We've all heard horror stories about being stranded sans a cellphone (or a signal), and while we doubt the majority of you break out into the wilderness on a regular basis, a little peace of mind for when you do won't hurt. SPOT Inc. has introduced the simply-titled SPOT, which operates as a personal GPS-enabled tracking device to inform relatives, friends, and emergency personnel of your status. Among the features are a 911 button that automatically calls in help and gives them your exact location, an Ask for Help button that beams up friends / family, a Check In selection that informs contacts that you're a-okay, and a Track Progress option that sends your location to a Google Map that relatives can monitor. The unit itself is powered by a pair of AA cells, weighs just seven-ounces, floats on water, and is rugged enough to handle most any encounter. Price wise, the SPOT will run you $149.99 along with a $99 "service fee," but monthly and multi-year options will purportedly be available soon.

 

[via] Engadget

Apple tosses in gigabit Ethernet on refreshed AirPort Extreme

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While the majority of you are likely scoping out Apple's more noticeable introductions, the firm did manage to provide a subtle, albeit entirely welcome upgrade to the 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station. Still priced at $179, the revamped device doesn't change much, as you can still look forward to the slimmed-down design, USB port, and security slot, but those utilizing a wired network will greatly appreciate the four gigabit Ethernet ports. Interestingly, there are still a number of locations in which Apple has yet to update the technical information of the new AirPort, but the tried and true checkout page holds the newly implemented details.

[Thanks, iData]

 

[via] Engadget

HTC Advantage now available, $899 at retail

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HTC today announced official US availability of its mobile monster (and we do mean "monster"), the Advantage. Known alternately as the Athena and X7501, the sucker rocks pretty much every feature one could want in a pocketable device: 256MB of onboard ROM, 128MB of RAM, 8GB hard drive, HSDPA 850 / 1900 alongside quadband GSM, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, 3 megapixel autofocus cam, integrated GPS, and an incredible 5 inches of VGA display madness sitting atop Windows Mobile 6 Professional. Coming in at a hefty 134 x 98 x 16mm (20mm with keyboard attached), the term "svelte" doesn't exactly apply here -- but for folks who think power trumps pocketability, this may just be their soulmate. Find it now at CompUSA and Amazon for a buck under $900.

 

[via] Engadget

iPhones automatically updated with "Send to Web Gallery" feature

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At some point during the Jobsters lenghty unveiling of multifarious technologies today, iPhones across the nation were silently rejiggered (presumably by magical Apple wood-sprites) to allow for use of the just announced "Send to Web Gallery" feature. Whether this was a timed event scheduled into the new 1.0.1 update or an over-the-air transmission from Apple remains to be seen, but it is definitely true that the "fully integrated" web gallery upload option which Mr. Jobs demonstrated at today's press conference is currently available for use on your iPhone. Right now. This second.

[Via TUAW, thanks to everyone who sent this in]

 

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

[via] Engadget

Apple offers PCI Express RAID Card in Mac Pro

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As if Cupertino didn't give you enough to chew on today, it looks like the Mac Pro received a small update as well. 'Course, it seems pretty minute until you check out the pricetag ($999, for those wondering), but nevertheless, users looking to maximize their machine can now opt for a PCI Express RAID card to come built right in. The card promises "up to 304MBps of sequential read performance in RAID 0" and supports RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 0+1, and Enhanced JBOD. Moreover, it sports 256MB of cache and an integrated 72-hour battery for protection, and while the machine ships with each hard drive individually configured in the Enhanced JBOD level, you can migrate the drives into a RAID setup of your choosing without reinstalling OS X by tapping into Apple's RAID Utility software.

[Thanks, Alex]

 

[via] Engadget

Halo 3-themed Xbox 360 landing in September for $400

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Sure, we already knew the Halo 3-themed Xbox 360 was on the horizon, and we even warned you to save a bit extra for those Halo-clad accessories, but now we're absolutely certain that you better have the necessary dough by next month if you're looking to be an early adopter. Yep, Microsoft's special edition console will be landing sometime in September for $399.99, and will include "an authentic Spartan green-and-gold finish," matching wireless controller, a 20GB hard drive, headset, a Play and Charge Kit, and "more" -- though we're not exactly sure what the latter may be. Get in line early folks, we've got all ideas this will be a fairly hot commodity.

[Via Joystiq]

 

[via] Engadget

Windows Vista pre-beta SP1 hitting the web?

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Whispers that Redmond certainly can't be pleased about hearing are beginning to gain traction all over the 'net, as more and more individuals claim that they have Vista's Service Pack 1 pre-beta in their possession. Reportedly, the 6001.16549 build "sounds like it's the real deal," and could be the version that Microsoft has been "trickling out to more and more testers over the past few weeks." Of course, we aren't likely to hear anything one way or another from Microsoft, as the last tidbit that was let loose by it contained the phrase "not anytime soon." But as proven by the Vista Performance and Reliability Pack that just recently found its way into public hands before its intended release date, there's always a chance for leaks. So, dear readers, have any of you stumbled upon a pre-release version of the much-anticipated update?

[Via ZDNet, thanks Mark]

 

[via] Engadget

Hands-on with Pleo the dinobot

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Watch out Mark Tilden, we have witnessed the future, and your family of robotic creatures is about to get totally shown up -- for a pretty steep price, of course. By now you're probably well aware of the heir to the robotoy throne that we're referring to, Ugobe's $350 Pleo dinobot (or life form, as they like to call it) dropping November 1st. Well we finally got a little face time with this sensor-laden blast from the past, and we're happy to report that the frustrating delays our Jurassic pal has suffered seem to be well worth it, as the model we saw behaved and performed almost flawlessly. Interestingly enough, although the components are quite tough (as evidenced when our demonstrator violently snapped its back and legs with no ill effects), Pleo's tactile rubber skin and puppy-like cuteness tend to make people treat it much gentler than necessary. Still, considering that these will ship with a completely hackable OS, we're sure that there will be no shortage of baby dino snuff films up on YouTube in no time. For more, um, appropriate viewing matter, check out the gallery below, and then hit the jump to watch three of these little guys do their best impression of a Budweiser commercial...

Continue reading Hands-on with Pleo the dinobot

 

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

[via] Engadget

Palm gets official with Treo 750's WM6 upgrade -- in Australia

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The good news is that the official Windows Mobile 6 Professional update for the Treo 750 is just around the corner; the bad news, though, is that you probably can't have it yet unless you're lucky enough to live in one particular corner of the world. Following countless incognito shots of WM6-sporting 750s in the wild, an imminent official announcement was pretty much a foregone conclusion -- though we admittedly never suspected Australia would be the first to get the hookup. Specifically, customers of the Australian branch of Hutchison 3 will be able to download the update free of charge starting mid-month, with "other customers" following on in September. Whether "other customers" includes AT&T is unclear, but we're keeping our fingers tightly crossed.

[Via istartedsomething]

 

[via] Engadget

Target bidding the Xbox 360 Core model adieu?

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It wouldn't be a legitimate discontinuation rumor without an incredibly blurry picture as proof, now would it? In yet another disputable case of "is the Xbox 360 Core model on its way out," a certain Target employee apparently snapped a picture of horrific quality showing the "Xbox 360 Core Hardware Sys" with a "Discontinued" status. The shot was reportedly taken from one of the store's oh-so-knowledgeable PDAs, and while there's obviously no confirmation either way just yet, this tidbit does substantiate the questionable Best Buy slip. Ah well, it's not like we won't have yet another iteration coming up soon to ease the pain if this proves accurate.

 

[via] Engadget

Apple news roundup

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Yeah, we know there was a lot going on in the Apple world today -- here's the low down.

Live coverage
Live from Apple's summer Mac product press conference
Apple's new iMac and keyboard: first hands-on

iMac (4th gen)
Apple's new iMac
Apple's new metallic keyboards: in wired and Bluetooth flavors
Apple calls multitouch Mac a "research project"
Apple's new iMac and keyboard: first hands-on
Apple's new wireless keyboard hits the FCC

Software
Apple introduces iLife '08
Apple debuts iWork '08
Apple updates .Mac
iPhones automatically updated with "Send to Web Gallery" feature

Other hardware
Apple refreshes Mac mini, now with Core 2 Duo
Apple tosses in gigabit Ethernet on refreshed AirPort Extreme
Apple offers PCI Express RAID Card in Mac Pro

 

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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

[via] Engadget

SMS Technology shipping the M500 watch phone on August 31st?

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We'll admit, there's a few sects who've already crossed SMS Technology's M500 watch phone off as vaporware in its finest form, but apparently, the firm is finally coming through on its most recent declaration. Yep, those wearable phones the company has been promising all this time are finally shipping soon, at least, we think. According to the company, "the final version of the M500 production model has been given full clearance to be supplied with full metal strap bracelets," and it sounds like deliveries should begin within a month. Furthermore, the final production model sports a longer stylus, a battery upgrade, and a few software tweaks including support for POP3 email and IM. Hang tight, the "global retail launch" is slated for September 10th, with the keyword here being "slated."

[Via PMPToday]

 

[via] Engadget

V1-8CAM video analysis system helps golfers nab the right clubs

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Granted, this week may be a bit too warm to walk a round of 18 in many parts of the country, but Interactive Frontiers is hoping that you can beat the heat by figuring out exactly what clubs you'll need for your next outing. The firm, which created the V1 Pro Digital Coaching System, is now introducing the V1-8CAM to "simultaneously capture eight angles of video streams" of individuals practicing their swing. Subsequently, fitters can use the data to "more precisely evaluate performance and determine optimal club and putter specifications for clients," and just in case your local pro shop isn't ready to hand over the $11,945 required to pick one up, the four-camera V1-4CAM can still help out for "just" $8,495.

[Via LetsGoDigital]

 

[via] Engadget

Modded Vespa rocks touchscreen, XP, and WiFi

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Are you ever cruising on your Vespa, listening to The Kinks, pondering the plot of Absolute Beginners, and fantasizing about Twiggy when you think, "Hey, I need to check my email"? Well, you're in luck, because Quang Nguyen, a forward thinking Vespa-modder (no pun intended) has managed to cram a touchscreen rockin', WiFi sportin', XP-equipped PC into his red GTS250. Sure, he's also got a Louis Vuitton seat, but that isn't nearly as exciting as the prospect of being able to watch Quadrophenia and update your MySpace profile from any spot you happen to motor towards. Just make sure to watch out for the Rockers.

 

[via] Engadget

NTT's HC-1000 puts you in control of home security

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Here in America, we don't take our home security systems lightly, but for those in Japan, it appears that they haven't resorted to installing sensor-triggered weapons in their windows just yet. The HC-1000 camera can be controlled via the internet or a FOMA mobile, and allows users to take a peek at what's going on without actually being on the premises. The device sports a three-megapixel CMOS sensor, Ethernet port, 802.11a/b/g, 2x digital zoom, and a QVGA video mode to boot. Additionally, a "defense support" system can enable the piercing siren to let loose a wail, and the built-in microphone / speaker can even open up two-way communication between you and your home-wrecker (or faraway relative). The HC-1000 itself will run you a modest ¥29,400 ($247), but those looking to totally lock down their dwelling can spend up to ¥141,750 ($1,191) for an elaborate whole home system.

[Via CScout, thanks Mike]

 

[via] Engadget

Lenovo to auction Olympic laptops for charity

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In celebration of the "one-year-out mark for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games," Lenovo has just announced that it will be conducting a series of back-to-back, week-long auctions to gift high bidders with its svelte Olympic-themed machine. Beginning on February 8, 2008, a "Cloud of Promise" laptop will be available for bidding each week leading up to the Olympic Games, and a number of them will even be "autographed by athlete ambassadors." Reportedly, "100-percent" of the proceeds will be distributed through the Lenovo Hope Fund to select philanthropies, including Right to Play, and the auctions will take place at the currently unavailable www.lenovohopefundauctions.com website.

[Via TechDigest]

 

[via] Engadget