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Dell lays down the law: no more Windows XP shipments after October 22nd

CNC — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 01:53:00 +0000

Microsoft already informed its most moneyed partners that no more systems could leave their labs after October 22nd with Windows XP, but given that the proverbial boy has cried wolf before, we were inclined to think that we'd eventually face yet another push back. We guess there's still a few ticks of the clock left between now and that fateful day, but there seems to be little hope for XP to live on in any significant form beyond the aforesaid date. Dell has just published a report noting that they will stop offering XP on new machines later this month in preparation for October's cutoff, though they're quick to point out that Microsoft will continue Windows XP driver support until December 2012. For the average consumer, that means you've got just over a month to get whatever XP-equipped systems you want from Dell; for select "qualified customers," they will still be able to snag XP machines post-October 22nd through the company's Custom Factory Integration service. Hit the source link for all the details, and feel free to pour one out for a waning OS. We can shed a few more tears next month.

Dell lays down the law: no more Windows XP shipments after October 22nd originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zotac introduces ID33 and ID34 Zbox mini PCs, complete with Atom D525 and Blu-ray

CNC — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:57:00 +0000

Now this is an HTPC worth gawking at. Zotac has just revised its long-standing Zbox line with a new duo, and we have to say -- we're digging the new look. Beyond the exterior improvements, the outfit has bolstered the internals by providing the HD-ID33 and HD-ID34 with Intel's new 1.8GHz Atom D525 CPU, 2GB of DDR2-800 memory, NVIDIA's next-gen Ion graphics platform, an HDMI output, 6-in-1 card reader, gigabit Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, a couple of USB 2.0 ports and an unexpected pair of USB 3.0 sockets. The only notable difference between the two is the inclusion of a 250GB hard drive in the ID34, while the 2.5-inch HDD slot is left open for DIYers in the ID33. Windows 7 is onboard, naturally, as is a slot-loading Blu-ray drive that the company is (rightfully) proud of. It's not talking prices just yet, but we're willing to overlook a modest premium to finally get BD support within a delightfully small package. Hit the gallery below for more eye candy.

Gallery: Zotac's Zbox ID33 and ID34 with Blu-ray

Continue reading Zotac introduces ID33 and ID34 Zbox mini PCs, complete with Atom D525 and Blu-ray

Zotac introduces ID33 and ID34 Zbox mini PCs, complete with Atom D525 and Blu-ray originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eye-Fi starting up a developer program, will have some APIs open for business this fall

CNC — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:16:00 +0000

Pardon us as we coin the term "apportunity" to describe the upcoming developer program Eye-Fi has just announced. Developers will able to tie their apps / applications / sites into Eye-Fi features and services through the web, including accessing an Eye-Fi card for photos and video, changing settings on the card, and uploading to online sharing sites through Eye-Fi channels instead of directly connecting to each site. It all sounds very promising in a niche, people-who-use-WiFi-SD-cards sort of way, and we look forward to the results as Eye-Fi starts giving out API keys in phases, beginning this fall.

Eye-Fi starting up a developer program, will have some APIs open for business this fall originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Researchers propose ‘roaming’ charging stations to keep electric cars powered

CNC — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 22:34:00 +0000

No, we're not talking about robotic charging stations that roam the highways and recharge your car without even stopping (sadly), but a new system proposed Zafer Sahinoglu and his colleagues at the Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories in Cambridge, Massachusetts may just help to fill in some of the gaps on the road. While exact specifics are a bit light, the basic idea is to have a series of "roaming" chargers that would be charged up at night and moved around based on demand -- demand that would be determined by sensors in electric vehicles, which would report their findings back to a central operations center. According to Sahinoglu, you'd only need five charging stations to cover 100 electric cars on a 100-kilometer stretch of highway, so it would seemingly be a quick and relatively inexpensive way to cover a large area -- assuming you can find an efficient way to actually move the chargers around. Look for more details to be announced at the Vehicular Technology Conference in Ottawa next week.

Researchers propose 'roaming' charging stations to keep electric cars powered originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mushroom announces durable PortaBella wireless bonding device, continues adorable naming scheme

CNC — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:52:00 +0000

It's okay if you've never heard of wireless broadband bonding. The technology hasn't exactly caught on, even if it gets us all excited in our download place. The basic idea is to take a suite of wireless broadband adapters and plug them all into a single router, aggregating their power like shotgun modems did in the dial-up days. Mushroom Networks is the leader in this space and it has announced a new, "heavy duty" version of its PortaBella bonding device, joining its Porcini and Truffle models. The new PortaBella combines the connections of up to four wireless modems, even from different carriers, and works at temperatures ranging from 4 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit -- which sadly doesn't quite meet the temperature ranges experienced on an average day at the Engadget Lunar Outpost. It seems our heavenly bloggers above will have to keep sharing that single modem for now.

Continue reading Mushroom announces durable PortaBella wireless bonding device, continues adorable naming scheme

Mushroom announces durable PortaBella wireless bonding device, continues adorable naming scheme originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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QuickPay announces ROAMpay credit card swiper for Android, BlackBerry, iOS

CNC — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 18:24:00 +0000

We've seen our fair share iPhone-based credit card payment systems, but we both know that those aren't the only handsets people do business with. ROAMpay from QuickPay Merchant Services is a device agnostic card swiper with apps available for iOS, Android, and BlackBerry. Actually, it seems to be a virtual cash register as well, letting you log cash transactions (and generate receipts for 'em) as well as offering real-time authorization for Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express (as long as you have a QuickPay account, of course). Ready to get into business? Hit up the source link. Otherwise, we have a fantastic video (and some pretty swell PR) for you after the break.

Continue reading QuickPay announces ROAMpay credit card swiper for Android, BlackBerry, iOS

QuickPay announces ROAMpay credit card swiper for Android, BlackBerry, iOS originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget’s back to school giveaway, part two: win a lot of awesome gear worth nearly $2,400!

CNC — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:54:00 +0000

Hey, there: it's that time of year again. You or your loved ones will soon be heading back to school (if you haven't already). We've been trying to help everybody out for the past month with our back to school guides -- which you can check out right here -- but we thought we'd take it a step further, and give you, our dear readers, a chance to win some of the gear featured in the guides this year. We'll be doing three total giveaways this week, and here's what we've got for you today.

- Toshiba Portege R705 P25 laptop worth $799
- Eco Extreme Rugged all terrain Speaker Case worth $49
- i4 Universal desktop charger woth $59
- Pentax Optio H90 digital camera worth $149
- Altec Lansing Mix IMT800 worth $300
- Sony ICF-CL75iP Clock Radio worth $149.95
- Sprint Samsung Intercept worth $99
-Amazon Kindle 3G (Graphite version) worth $189
-HP ePrint All-in-One printer with an HP 60 Photo Value Pack, HP 60 XL Cartridges, a $200 Staples Gift Certificate and a $50 Snapfish Gift Certificate (all courtesy of HP).

Yes, that's nearly $2,400 of gear for one lucky winner. All you need to do to win is leave a comment below, and read the full rules after the break. Good luck!! Thanks to Toshiba, Grace Digital Audio, i4, Pentax, Altec Lansing, Sony, Sprint and HP for providing the gear!

Special thanks to all the companies for providing us with the gear!

Continue reading Engadget's back to school giveaway, part two: win a lot of awesome gear worth nearly $2,400!

Engadget's back to school giveaway, part two: win a lot of awesome gear worth nearly $2,400! originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iOS 4.1 is live, available to download right now

CNC — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 17:09:00 +0000

If you can just put down Angry Birds for one minute and plug your iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch 2nd generation, iPod touch 3rd generation, or iPod touch 4th generation into iTunes, you should be in for a pleasant non-surprise: iOS 4.1 is finally out and ready for your consumption. It's not a huge update, but Game Center is an exciting addition (for the few, proud devices that are getting it), and we're sure your face will be happy to stop getting accused for iPhone 4 hang-ups with the long overdue proximity sensor fix (shots of the changelog are after the break). Let us know how 4.1 is treating you in comments below.

Continue reading iOS 4.1 is live, available to download right now

iOS 4.1 is live, available to download right now originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google announces Google Instant search, available now for desktop, mobile this fall

CNC — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:36:00 +0000

We're reporting live from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, where Google's just taken the wraps off its latest software product. The announcement itself is taking its time right now, with background facts like Google recently crossing the one billion users a week milestone, but the Google Instant service has been activated and you can see details about its immediate result delivery at the source below. Basically, the Goog no longer waits for you to hit Enter while searching and starts updating its results page Instantly as you type. Google describes it as a fundamental shift in seach and you can find more details along with its warm and fuzzy video introduction after the break.

Gallery: Google Instant international screenshots

Gallery: Google Instant press conference pictures

Continue reading Google announces Google Instant search, available now for desktop, mobile this fall

Google announces Google Instant search, available now for desktop, mobile this fall originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toshiba Libretto W105 review

CNC — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:32:00 +0000

At this point Toshiba's dualscreen Libretto W105 shouldn't need much of an introduction -- or at least after glancing at the picture above we figure it won't. It looks like a laptop straight out of the future. And it kind of is. It's the sort of clamshell gadget we've seen rendered and rendered for years, but that's never made it to market... until now that is. In celebration of Toshiba's 25 years in the laptop business, the company's gotten bolder than ever, and it hasn't just created a gadget with two seven-inch capacitive touchscreens, but it's actually brought it to market. Sure, it's only available for a very limited run, and at a lofty $1,100, only die-hard gadget geeks are bound to fork over the cash. That said, it's still one of the most intriguing devices we've seen all year, and that's saying something. And it's even more compelling when you consider that packs the parts of a 12- or 13-inch ultraportable, including an Intel Pentium processor, 2GB of RAM and a 64GB SSD and also runs Windows 7. But that's exactly what's wrong with the Libretto -- it looks like the future, but it's held back by modern day laptop parts and software. We've spent quite some time with the W105 -- we typed half of this review on the bottom screen! -- so you'll want to hit the break to find out just what we're talking about.

Gallery: Toshiba Libretto W105 unboxing and review

Continue reading Toshiba Libretto W105 review

Toshiba Libretto W105 review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Qualcomm: 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon devices to arrive at end of 2011, 1.2GHz in Q1

CNC — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 16:10:00 +0000

Bad news: Qualcomm's just informed us that while it's still on track to ship the juicy 1.5GHz dual-core QSD8672 Snapdragon in Q4 this year, the end-user devices aren't expected to hit the market until the end of 2011 -- potentially almost a whole year later than its previous "early next year" or "by Christmas" prediction. What a shame. On a slightly more positive beat, though, the lesser 1.2GHz dual-core MSM8x60 chipset should be heading towards consumers early next year. Alas, this won't change the fact that we'll still need something to fill the void until next year -- Windows Phone 7, we're looking at you.

Qualcomm: 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon devices to arrive at end of 2011, 1.2GHz in Q1 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CalDigit brings USB 3.0 AV Drive to the Mac, still working on peace in the Middle East (video)

CNC — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:49:00 +0000

With Intel showing signs of jumping on board, USB 3.0 is looking more and more like the one next-gen interconnect to rule them all. Them all except for Apple, of course, who has notably thrown its support exclusively behind Light Peak. The chums at Cupertino have no interest in newer, bluer revisions of USB, but enterprise storage firm CalDigit thinks that many Apple lovers will. It has developed USB 3.0 PCIe and ExpressCard adapters (plus the necessary drivers) that will bring 5Gbps transfers to Macs, and is releasing its CalDigit AV Drive to match, up to 2TB of external storage with 145MBps transfers. (It also sports FireWire 800 compatibility if you're not ready to cross the interface picket line just yet.) That PCIe adapter will set you back a not entirely unreasonable $59, while the 1TB external drive is $199. No price on the ExpressCard adapter or 2TB version yet, but all are said to be shipping presently.

Update: As bhillyer70 pointed out in comments, these are now available in the CalDigit store. The 2TB drive will set you back $299, while the ExpressCard adapter is listed at $69 and sports this somewhat troubling disclaimer: "CalDigit does not guarantee USB 3.0 performance on all Macs or when used in conjunction with third party products. The driver has been optimized for CalDigit certified products." Perhaps we should re-open those peace talks...

Continue reading CalDigit brings USB 3.0 AV Drive to the Mac, still working on peace in the Middle East (video)

CalDigit brings USB 3.0 AV Drive to the Mac, still working on peace in the Middle East (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 11:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acer introduces Atom D525-equipped Aspire Revo 3700, your den swoons

CNC — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 15:21:00 +0000

Ah, hello again! It seems like just yesterday that we were talking up Acer's latest Aspire Revo -- a '3600' model equipped with a dual-core Atom 330 and NVIDIA's Ion graphics system. Nearly a year to the day, we're now faced with the company's latest and greatest subcompact, the Aspire Revo 3700. As far as evolutionary advancements go, this one's fairly predictable -- within the one-liter box is a 1.8GHz Atom D525 dual-core processor, NVIDIA's next-generation Ion platform, support for 1080p video playback, a 500GB hard drive, four USB 2.0 ports, 4GB of DDR3 memory, VGA / HDMI outputs, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, gigabit Ethernet and a mini PCIe slot. It's expected to ship later this year with a $580 price tag, but it's still a TV tuner shy of being exactly what our living room asked for.

Continue reading Acer introduces Atom D525-equipped Aspire Revo 3700, your den swoons

Acer introduces Atom D525-equipped Aspire Revo 3700, your den swoons originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 11:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Seiko’s ‘active matrix’ E Ink watch will be on sale by end of 2010

CNC — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:55:00 +0000

It's always good to see a concept, particularly one as appealing as Seiko's "active matrix" E Ink watch, make it to retail product. The company's had a thing for E Ink timepieces for a while now, but what sets this new one apart is the supposed 180-degree viewing angle it affords -- and, of course, those retro good looks do it no harm either. Then there's also the radio-controlled movement, which receives its time from the nearest atomic clock, and the solar cells framing that electrophoretic display. All very nice and neat, but the best news is that it might (might!) be priced within reach of regular Joes and Vlads like us. We'll know soon enough, a retail release is expected by the end of the year.

Seiko's 'active matrix' E Ink watch will be on sale by end of 2010 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mad Catz’s Black Ops PrecisionAim gamepads and Stealth mouse hands-on

CNC — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:26:00 +0000

Mad Catz' Modern Warfare 2 peripherals won't know what hit them when Black Ops debuts this fall -- the quality of the company's gamepads has increased yet again, and of course, this year the Call of Duty-flavored lineup ships with a genuine R.A.T. mouse. We snuck down the streets of San Francisco for a top secret rendezvous to test these controllers out, and discovered a pair of the most comfortable gamepads we've tried for our trouble. Read our full impressions after the break -- totally declassified.

Gallery: Mad Catz's Black Ops PrecisionAIM controllers, hands-on

Continue reading Mad Catz's Black Ops PrecisionAim gamepads and Stealth mouse hands-on

Mad Catz's Black Ops PrecisionAim gamepads and Stealth mouse hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 10:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nyko Wand+ review

CNC — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 13:58:00 +0000

For demanding gamers, initial excitement upon procuring a Nintendo Wii was quickly dampened by disappointment: the durned Wiimote wasn't nearly as precise as we'd all hoped it would be. It took a couple of years for Nintendo to step up and fix the issue, releasing the MotionPlus and finally making the Wiimote work for sword-fighting games and the like. But, that left us all stuck with a dongle hanging off the bottom, causing compatibility issues with many early peripherals. The Nyko Wand+ is the solution, putting the MotionPlus right inside a stock-size controller, as it should have been in the first place. In some ways, it's better than first-party.

Gallery: Nyko Wand+

Continue reading Nyko Wand+ review

Nyko Wand+ review originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nokia N8 officially for sale last week of September, UK shops October 1st

CNC — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 07:56:00 +0000

At last, an official date for Nokia's N8 flagship Symbian^3 handset. This one's been a long time coming, featuring the first of two major Symbian updates meant to bring Nokia's smartphone division in line with the competition. Look for it in the "last week of September" at Nokia's on-line shops for £429 SIM free, or free with £35 per month contract. Otherwise, it'll hit the UK high street shops on October 1st. See the full announcement after the break.

Continue reading Nokia N8 officially for sale last week of September, UK shops October 1st

Nokia N8 officially for sale last week of September, UK shops October 1st originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mophie’s $80 Juice Pack Air ships to power-hungry iPhone 4 owners

CNC — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 07:29:00 +0000

My, how far we've come. Believe it or not, Mophie's Juice Pack pack is in its seventh generation of product development, with the latest 'Air' supporting Apple's polarizing iPhone 4. For those unaware, these cases nearly double the battery life of the phone they're wrapped around, and better still, it acts as protection against drops and dropped calls. Fancy that! This little guy is said to provide up to six extra hours of 3G talk time, 36 hours of bonus audio playback or nine hours of video playback. It's shipping now, just like we said, to those willing to part ways with $79.95, and it's available in any color you want, so long as it's black.

Continue reading Mophie's $80 Juice Pack Air ships to power-hungry iPhone 4 owners

Mophie's $80 Juice Pack Air ships to power-hungry iPhone 4 owners originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Verizon sweetens Samsung Fascinate deal with Buy One Get One Free offer

CNC — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 06:31:00 +0000

Yes, that fateful day is upon us, the Samsung Fascinate has made its debut on Verizon's online store pages, and it's arrived with a quite unusual (for a top tier handset) sweetener. When buying one Fascinate, you're given the option to obtain a second one for free. Well, the hardware would be free, you'd need two-year commitments on both phones with a minimum monthly data plan of $29.99 a piece, but it's still the nicest thing Verizon's done for us since it started throwing out free Pixi Pluses with purchases of Palm's webOS handsets. You should also bear in mind your initial outlay here is a quite lofty $400, with two separate $100 mail-in rebates bringing the cost down. So it's free in pecuniary terms, but probably not free of headaches.

[Thanks, Mike]

Verizon sweetens Samsung Fascinate deal with Buy One Get One Free offer originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 02:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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India’s $35 Android tablet reportedly on track for January launch

CNC — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 05:57:00 +0000

It seemed like a bit of a stretch from the beginning, but it looks like India's $35 Android tablet is intent on proving the skeptics wrong -- the Indian government has just announced that it's awarded the manufacturing contract to HCL Technologies (makers of the once world's cheapest laptop), and that the first batch of tablets are slated to be available by January 10th. That initial run will reportedly only include the 7-inch model that we've been seeing all along, but there's also apparently 5-inch and 9-inch versions planned for launch at a later date. We also presume that the tablet is still hanging onto that $35 price tag (for university students, at least), but that key detail is curiously absent from this latest announcement.

India's $35 Android tablet reportedly on track for January launch originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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