In addition to the intriguing new Coolpix P7000, Nikon also announced the Coolpix S8100 (pictured above) and S80 tonight -- sure, they're not the dramatic new models, but they're certainly respectable updates to the S8000 and S70. The S8100 actually learned one trick from the P7000: it's dropped the megapixel count to 12.1 from the S8000's 14.2 in order to improve light sensitivity -- it can now hit ISO 3200 natively, which isn't bad for a tiny cam with a 10x zoom. It's also got a new 1080p movie mode and a faster 10fps burst mode -- although we're told it can only burst five frames at a time, so that's not nearly as interesting. It'll hit later this month in a few colors for $299.

The S80 goes the other way, boosting the megapixel count to 14.1 from the S70's 12.1, and upping the 3.5-inch touchscreen to OLED. The touchscreen enables all the same snazzy tricks as on the new S1100pj, including the ability to draw right on your pictures, and and the 720p movie mode and 5x optical zoom are unchanged. It'll hit this fall in all sorts of colors for $329. Honestly, we're still not entirely sold on touchscreen controls for cameras to begin with, and on top of that we're definitely concerned that OLED will make a touchscreen camera virtually useless in daylight, but we'll wait to see this thing in person before we rain too hard on this parade. Check a pic of the S80 along with both press releases after the break.

Continue reading Nikon Coolpix S8100 gets 1080p video, S80 sprouts an OLED touchscreen

Nikon Coolpix S8100 gets 1080p video, S80 sprouts an OLED touchscreen originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Well well -- what's this? Look like all those rumors about Nikon licking its wounds and gunning hard for the high-end compact camera market were true: this hot little piece is the new Coolpix P7000, Nikon's answer to the Canon G11. Like we'd heard, it actually drops the megapixel count from the P6000, with a 10.1 megapixel CCD sensor that can hit ISO 6400 sensitivity natively and 12,800 when boosted behind a f/2.8-5.6 7.1x VR zoom lens and a three-inch 921,000-dot LCD display. It also has full manual controls for virtually every setting, an optical viewfinder and accessory hot shoe, RAW support, and a 720p/24 movie mode with VR and continuous autofocus that might actually be useful for more than just casual shooting because there's a mic jack. There's also the usual range of Coolpix automatic adjustments and modes, of course, but come on -- look at all those manual dials and buttons, people. It'll hit later this month for $499.99 -- we're definitely requesting a review unit to put this head to head with seemingly-similar G11 and others pro compacts like the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5, so stay tuned. PR after the break.

Continue reading Nikon Coolpix P7000 brings manual heat to the prosumer level

Nikon Coolpix P7000 brings manual heat to the prosumer level originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

While it was fun while it lasted, it was obvious that Willow Garage couldn't keep giving away its ultra-high-end development platform PR2 bots forever. After shipping 11 of the bots to research institutes, Willow Garage is now selling the PR2 to all comers -- as long as they've got 400 grand in their back pocket. We've covered the specs before (oodles of CPU power, two highly articulated pincer arms, and high-end vision systems), along with some of PR2's recent hijinks, and hopefully we see more of that sort of stuff now that the rugged, ready-for-adventure PR2 is on the market. If you can't scrap together all the cash, Willow Garage will also be offering a discount $280k version to people and institutions that can demonstrate "past performance and leadership" in open source robotics software -- a topic obviously near and dear to Willow Garage's heart with ROS, the OS that powers PR2 and is slowly spreading throughout much of the world of higher-end personal robotics.

As for the high price and its generally opaque business model, Willow Garage compares the current state of its industry to high end workstations in the 70s, back when researchers were spending more money and time figuring out what their computers could do than actually accomplishing anything with them. Willow Garage isn't planning on making any sort of killing in the business yet -- they'd just be happy to have the PR2 project at a self sustaining level -- but they're working toward what they see as the "next radical shift" in productivity, a personal robotics follow-up to the personal computer revolution. This is a future similar to the one Bill Gates was talking up back in 2006, but of course Willow Garage wants its open source ROS platform to be the "Microsoft" this time around. They certainly don't plan to corner the hardware market in the process, however: the company hopes the quasi-followup to the PR2 will actually be built by multiple companies.

Willow Garage now selling the PR2 for $400k a pop originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Willow Garage  | Email this | Comments

Ready to get swept away into the wild, wild abyss known as quantum computing? If not, we're certain there's a less mentally taxing post above or below, but for those who answered the call, researchers at the University of California Santa Cruz have a doozie to share. A team of whiz kids at the institution have developed a minuscule optical device that's built into a silicon chip, and it's capable of reducing the speed of light by a factor of 1,200. If you're wondering why on Earth humans would be interested in doing such a thing, here's the long and short of it: the ability to control light pulses on an integrated chip-based platform "is a major step toward the realization of all-optical quantum communication networks, with potentially vast improvements in ultra-low-power performance." Today, data transmitted along optical fibers must still eventually be converted to electronic signals before they're finally understood, but the promise of an all-optical data processing system could obviously reduce inefficiencies and create communication networks that are far quicker and more robust. There's still no telling how far we are from this becoming a reality -- after all, we've been hearing similar since at least 2006 -- but at least these folks seem to be onto something good... even if it's all too familiar.

All-optical quantum communication networks nearly realized, 'Answers to Life' airing at 9PM originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 23:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Physorg  |  University of California Santa Cruz  | Email this | Comments

At Apple's last event, Steve Jobs called the iPod touch the company's "most popular iPod," and it's easy to understand why. In just a few short years, the iPhone-with-no-phone has kept in lockstep with Cupertino's halo device, benefitting from the same kind of constant hardware and software updating that has helped turned the iPhone into an iconic gadget. The touch has been right alongside the iPhone's meteoric rise in popularity, becoming the go-to second-pocket slab for millions. There are good reasons, too. Apple boasts about gaming on the device -- claiming it beats out both Nintendo's and Sony's offerings in sales... combined. While we can't concede that the device is a dedicated game console, it most definitely games. And it's still an iPod, an internet device, and a thousand other things thanks to Apple's vastly populous App Store. Now the player has once again reaped the rewards of iPhone updates, boasting a new Retina Display, the A4 CPU, two cameras which allow for FaceTime calling and 720p video recording, and all the new features of the company's latest mobile operating system, iOS 4.1. But despite all of the plusses, we still have to ask: is the little do-everything box still worth the premium price tag? We took a deep dive on the latest model and have the verdict, so read on to find out.

Continue reading iPod touch review (2010)

iPod touch review (2010) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Apple's sixth generation of the iPod nano is essentially the first complete rethinking the product has had since its debut in 2005. The previous form factor -- slim and light with a decently sized display and clickwheel -- has been all but abandoned. The new design is a complete departure; a full touchscreen device that brings to mind something more like a large, living postage stamp than a portable music player. Along with the radical hardware redesign, Apple has infused the media player with a brand new operating system as well -- an interface that looks and plays more like iOS than iPod. We've spent the past week or so knocking the nano around to see if it's worth your hard-earned dollars, and we've got the answers inside -- so read on for our full review.

Continue reading iPod nano review (2010)

iPod nano review (2010) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 21:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Uh, wow. Oracle CEO Larry Ellison just released a statement in response to HP suing former CEO Mark Hurd for taking a position as Oracle's co-president, and well, just read it:

Oracle has long viewed HP as an important partner," said Oracle CEO Larry Ellison. "By filing this vindictive lawsuit against Oracle and Mark Hurd, the HP board is acting with utter disregard for that partnership, our joint customers, and their own shareholders and employees. The HP Board is making it virtually impossible for Oracle and HP to continue to cooperate and work together in the IT marketplace.

Yeah. Homeboy isn't playing around. Of course, HP's entire lawsuit hinges on the court agreeing that HP and Oracle are actually direct competitors in the enterprise space, and, as the lawsuit points out, Oracle itself has filed SEC reports saying its hardware and software products "compete directly" with HP and other companies, so perhaps this is all more sound than fury, but at this point we wouldn't count on a quick settlement putting all this to bed anytime soon.

P.S.- We told you Larry Ellison would say something bonkers again.

Continue reading Larry Ellison on HP's Mark Hurd lawsuit: 'virtually impossible for Oracle and HP to continue to cooperate and work together'

Larry Ellison on HP's Mark Hurd lawsuit: 'virtually impossible for Oracle and HP to continue to cooperate and work together' originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Continue reading Swiss researchers show off brain-controlled, AI-augmented wheelchair

Swiss researchers show off brain-controlled, AI-augmented wheelchair originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  EPFL  | Email this | Comments

The Samsung LN46C650 46" Class LCD HDTV provides 120Hz Clear Motion Rate technology that allows you to see fast action with a smoothness.

The LG 55LD520 55" Class Full HD LCD HDTV is a Full HD television anyone would be happy with, at almost any budget.

The Acer Aspire AS5741-6823 Notebook PC blends performance, cutting edge connectivity, and great multimedia features with a very affordable price tag.

With the Acer G215HAbd 22" Class (21.5" Diagonal) Widescreen LCD Monitor you can complete your workspace with a 1080p resolution monitor.

We've heard about Palm's big plans for webOS 2.0 -- heck, we've even seen a handful of pictures here or there. And now we've been graced with lots, lots more. We're still not sure the exact origins, as they both came to us unsourced at around the same time. But, be it PreCentral forums or Chinese site Crooked neck (a.k.a. Wibozi), we're still graced with two dozen new screenshots that showcase features beyond Stacks and Just Type. Plenty of extra services are on display, including favorites like Dropbox and head-scratchers like MobileMe (we know Palm has something of an Apple complex, but the benefits of MobileMe are pretty minimal beyond iPhone integration). There's also default app selection for filetypes, which is a welcome addition we've enjoyed on our Android sets. Just in case all the screenshots go poof, we've got them in a gallery below. Let your imagination run wild, or at least in a bigger fence.

[Thanks, kkhanmd]

WebOS 2.0 beta screenshot extravaganza originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 14:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Crooked neck (Wibozi), PreCentral  | Email this | Comments

RIM has yet to officially announce the upcoming Style 9670 flip, but the leakfest continues today with a handful of new videos -- professionally-produced ones this time -- that show off key features of the UI and how to use them. Unlike the Torch, the Style lacks a touchscreen -- it just wouldn't be prudent in a clamshell form factor -- which means we're seeing just what it's like to navigate the finer points of BlackBerry 6's user interface with an optical pad (and secondary display) alone on a larger, portrait-oriented display. We're hopeful that RIM's new platform has a certain... well, a certain "something" on non-touchscreen devices that the Torch lacks, but time will tell, we suppose. Follow the break for the full video series.

Continue reading BlackBerry Style 9670's UI demoed in leaked official videos

BlackBerry Style 9670's UI demoed in leaked official videos originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink BGR  |  CrackBerry  | Email this | Comments

We realize keeping up with HP's model numbers can be as hard as keeping tabs on say, Lindsay Lohan's run-ins with the law, but the 5103 is notable in one major way -- it's one of the first netbooks to ship with Intel's dual-core Atom N550 processor. Like the 5102, the 5103 is still primarily aimed at business professionals. In fact, HP hardly messed with the look and feel of the aluminum dressed laptop -- the chassis and features are pretty much the exact same, although HP did ditch the black lid for an "Espresso" color and preload some new "Day Starter" instant-on OS. Obviously, the big deal here is the new processor and seeing as how we've been waiting on Intel to release a dual-core Atom CPU for netbooks since well, the first netbook we were eager to see how much power that extra core adds and if it impacts battery life. Hit the break to see some of the results.

Continue reading HP Mini 5103 with dual-core Atom N550 performance review

HP Mini 5103 with dual-core Atom N550 performance review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Sure, we can’t all afford the $500 Fujifilm is charging for the Finepix Real 3D W3, but that’s no reason to make a “toy” version of the thing and charge $70. Regardless, that’s what Takaira Tomy has done, creating a tiny pink (or white) version that does the same basic thing but in a very basic way. Instead of dual 10 megapixel CCDs capable of shooting 720p video you get dual 0.3 megapixel sensors that can’t shoot video with any p’s at all. Pictures are recorded to SD and must be printed out before being spied through a fold-up viewer. Sure, playing with this could be fun for a little while, but for that price we’d rather just stick with two dimensions and get a basic but full-function compact instead.

Takara Tomy’s toy camera shoots in 3D, costs as much as a grownup 2D camera originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 12:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CrunchGear  |  Takara Tomy  | Email this | Comments

Oh, sure -- we've seen an Xbox 360 enclosure stuffed with x86 innards, but we can't say we've ever seen anything quite like this. Gaming upstart Origin PC has just shattered every preconceived notion about its potential with the Big O, an appropriately titled luxury machine that combines a liquid-cooled gaming PC with a liquid-cooled Xbox 360 Slim. In one box. A pair of configurations are available, with both of 'em rigged up to run the PC and Xbox concurrently. In other words, these bad boys can actually crunch SETI@home data while you explore the vastness of Halo: Reach. The $7,669 build includes an overclocked 4.0GHz Core i7-930 CPU, Rampage III Extreme mobo, twin NVIDIA GTX480 graphics cards, 6GB of Corsair memory, a 1,500 watt power support, 12x Pioneer Blu-ray burner, two 50GB OCZ SSDs wired up as a boot drive, Windows 7 Home Premium, a liquid-cooled Xbox 360 and bragging rights the size of Texas Alaska. For those still unsatisfied, there's a $16,999 version that's frankly too lust-worthy to spell out here (but is in the gallery below). Hit the source link if you're feeling ambitious, but don't blame us for blowing your kid's college fund in one fell swoop.

Continue reading Origin PC's Big O desktop: half gaming PC, half Xbox 360, all muscle

Origin PC's Big O desktop: half gaming PC, half Xbox 360, all muscle originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 10:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Origin PC  | Email this | Comments

Our eyes were drawn to an FCC filing this morning from a California start-up by the name of Zelfy; a quick glance at Zelfy's site reveals that they're in "stealth mode," but the picture of a woman using an iPhone to control her TV should give you an idea of what these guys are up to. Indeed, digging through the filing shows a product called "Peel" whose central component, the "Peel Fruit," is a small, battery-powered sphere of an IR blaster that connects to your home network router. Next, you download the Peel app onto the iPhone (or iPod touch) of your choice and control the Fruit over WiFi. The filing reveals little in the way of UI or functionality, but the product's tagline is "every remote and TV guide now on your phone," so we would assume that you'll have access to your cable provider's lineup and schedule from the app. More on this one just as soon as Zelfy decides to emerge from stealth mode, we suppose.

Zelfy Peel might be the iPhone remote you've been looking for originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Zelfy, FCC  | Email this | Comments

Did you know that Ford's first electric car, the Comuta, was released way back in 1967? It was a perfectly goofy looking thing, with a top speed of 37mph and a range of 40 miles -- if you didn't go near that top speed. More of a concept than anything, only a handful were made available for sale, and at this point it certainly looks like the company's immediate plans for EVs are similarly conservative. DailyTech pulled together an analysis of Ford's future offerings in the electric and plug-in hybrid space and it's obvious the Blue Oval is taking its time making sure the EV water is warm before jumping in. First up is the Transit Connect, a 100 mile range electric van intended for fleet use and, with a price well north of $30,000, not expected to sell in droves. Next will be the Focus Electric, due next year and, while this one will be substantially cheaper and more consumer-friendly, Ford execs expect it too will have low demand.

The primary reason for this is that Ford still believes that pure EVs are not ready for mainstream adoption, with battery technology unable to provide reliable power at the range of temperatures people actually want to go somewhere. The Focus Electric mitigates this with both liquid heating and cooling, but for now the company thinks the best mix is a traditional, power-split hybrid, where the gas engine can drive the wheels if the batteries can't cope. That's unlike the Chevy Volt, which is only driven by batteries. To this end Ford has a new, mystery plug-in hybrid vehicle coming in 2012. What kind of car? All we know is it's "not a Focus." That can mean only one thing: F-350 Super Duty PHEV edition.

[Photo credit: Ford Motor Company]

Looking back at Ford's EV past, forward to the 2012 Focus Electric and a 2013 plug-in hybrid originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  DailyTech  | Email this | Comments

TomTom rolls out Go Live 1000 series navigation units originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 07 Sep 2010 09:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink NaviGadget  |  Easier  | Email this | Comments