|  |  |  | | | | | Engadget | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Remember that Nokia PureView tease from a few days ago? Well, suddenly it all makes sense. We are indeed looking at an imaging flagship phone and a true successor to the N8. It's called the 808 PureView and it's expected to reach Europe in the next quarter for a price of 450 Euros. Before we move on to its craziest feature -- the camera, of course! -- let's run down the other key specs: The OS is Symbian Belle; the engine is a 1.3GHz single-core chip; the display is 4-inches corner to corner but its resolution is a Nokia-style 360 x 640 (nHD). There's 512MB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage that is thankfully expandable via microSD. A Pentaband modem increases the chances of getting a signal while globe-trotting, while data speeds will top out at plain HSPA 14.4Mbps. Now that Carl Zeiss-lensed camera: it handles continuous-focus 1080p, but is claimed to have an incredible resolution of over 41-megapixels when shooting stills -- or 34-megapixels for 16:9 images. It's achieved by some clever sub-pixel interpolation jiggery-pokery that basically entails five pixels being merged into one, but we'll dig deeper very soon. Nokia announces 808 PureView: Belle OS, 4-inch display, 41-megapixel camera(!) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 03:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Among the many goodies Nokia unveiled in its presser at MWC 2012 is a new hub for consuming your favorite written content. Called Nokia Reading, it brings your news feeds, ebooks, and audio books together in a unified, digital magazine-like format that can be accessed on- or offline. The app also provides access to local language content where available and shows you breaking news via Live Tile. It is, quite naturally, available to all Nokia WP7 handsets beginning in April, and the best part? It's free. Nokia announces Nokia Reading at MWC 2012, brings content together, makes it available offline originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 03:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  The last time we heard from Invoxia, the company was showing off a desktop VoIP phone with iPad and iPhone docks, allowing you to use the familiar iOS interface to manipulate all the phone's controls -- mute, volume, speakerphone, et cetera. As Mobile World Congress kicks off, the company's back with a product that looks very similar, but does quite the opposite. Designed for business use, the AudiOffice isn't a standalone VoIP phone but rather, a speaker dock for your iDevices. Here, your sweet telephony comes courtesy of your iPhone, while Invoxia's hardware is mainly there to enhance the call quality, with the help of four wide-bandwidth speakers and two digital microphones. And though those docks were built with the iPad and iPhone in mind, you could, if you were so inclined, connect another device using the dock's USB socket or Bluetooth 2.1 radio. In addition to FaceTime, too, you can place calls through more OS-agnostic apps, such as Skype. The AudiOffice will sell for $299 -- quite pricey for what's essentially an iDevice dock -- but that's still far more affordable than the $599 the NVX 610 is fetching. We'll be back with hands-on photos soon enough, but in the meantime we've got pictures of the official sort below. Continue reading Invoxia unveils the AudiOffice, a $299 speaker dock for iDevices Invoxia unveils the AudiOffice, a $299 speaker dock for iDevices originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 02:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | In all the other MWC bombast, you might have missed that Samsung's added another member to its humble Galaxy S WiFi (Galaxy Player) PMP-lineup. This version packs a 4.2-inch WVGA (480 x 800) screen, runs Gingerbread 2.3 and has dual cameras (2-megapixels 'round back and VGA for video calls). Bluetooth 3.0, USB 2.0 and WiFI 802.11 b/g/n round out your connectivity and you'll also find it toting a 1,500mAh battery. Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is bundled bundled as standard, which is great for some illegal street-racing on the go. It'll come in 8 and 16GB variants, with the usual microSD card slot for that extra 32GB of space when required. No word on pricing or availability, but we'd imagine it won't head too far past the $250 mark. Samsung announces the Galaxy S (Player) WiFi 4.2 at MWC originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 02:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Samsung's announced another 10.1-inch tablet to join its burgeoning collection of slates. The Galaxy Note 10.1 is an S-Pen toting variant of the similarly sized-and-named Galaxy Tab. It's running Touchwiz-infused ICS on a 1.4GHz dual-core CPU with 1GB of RAM, but here's the answer to the question on everyone's lips: nope, you can't use it as a phone. Sadly you'll only have access to HSPA+, WiFi and Bluetooth 3.0, dashing our hopes of using this as our primary cellphone to annoy people on the train. The 10.1-inch WXGA (1280 x 800) display is nestled opposite a 3-megapixel rear-facing camera and beside a 2-megapixel one for video conferencing. S-Pen specific features include S Note for scrawling text, Shape Match and Formula Match (to digitize images and mathematical formulae) -- but more importantly is the ability to use Adobe's new Photoshop Touch and Ideas, which will both come pre-installed. If you'd rather use the slate as the world's largest sat-nav, you'll be relieved to know it's packing both GPS and Glonass. For the businesspersons of you out there, there's Exchange ActiveSync, on-device encryption, Juniper Junos Pulse and Cisco VPNs. It'll come in 16, 32 and 64GB variations, with a microSD slot for you to add up to a further 32GBs into the mix. It's clear that Samsung's bisecting its tablet business: purely touch-driven devices will now be branded as a "Tab" and anything with a stylus S-Pen will be suffixed with "Note." Pricing and availability are currently unspecified, but we'll do our best to shanghai that information out of a passing company rep when we see one. Continue reading Samsung announces Galaxy Note 10.1 at MWC Samsung announces Galaxy Note 10.1 at MWC originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 02:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Rovio described the upcoming Angry Birds Space as its biggest launch since the original game, but has been coy about platform details until now, as Samsung has revealed it's launching on the Galaxy Note. We're not sure how the phablets 5-inch (or possible 10.1-inch) display comes into play, but we figure the extra area can't hurt. Other than the "Houston... we have a slingshot" there's not many other details revealed but if you're (still) obsessed with taking down those pigs once and for all press play on the teaser video above. Angry Birds Space to launch on Samsung's Galaxy Note (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 01:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Keeping its promise to include iOS users in the Photoshop-enabled slate party, Adobe has announced the arrival of its Photoshop Touch app today at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Sporting a number of core PS features and new tools especially designed for use on tablets, the new release joins the Adobe Touch Apps family with further iPad software expected to drop in the coming months. This mobile version of Photoshop enables users to create layered images from several different photos, make edits, apply pro-style effects, touch up photos and carry out several other essential tasks directly on their Apple slate.
A Scribble Selection Tool makes for easy deletion of unwanted objects simply by scribbling on what's a keeper and then on what needs to go. Refine Edge technology offers a hand for those tedious soft-edged selections and integration with both Facebook and Google Image Search makes sharing your edits a breeze. The aforementioned upcoming iOS releases include Collage (moodboards), Debut (presenting and reviewing work), Ideas (sketches), Kuler (color exploration) and Proto (web and mobile application prototyping). But for now, you can snag Photoshop Touch for your iOS 5 wielding iPad 2 from the iTunes App Store for $9.99. If you're in search of some more details before taking the leap, hit the gallery of screenshots or the full PR below.
Continue reading Adobe unveils Photoshop Touch for iPad 2 at MWC, slate-style photo editing for $10 Adobe unveils Photoshop Touch for iPad 2 at MWC, slate-style photo editing for $10 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  iTunes | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  Keeping its promise to include iOS users in the Photoshop-enabled slate party, Adobe has announced the arrival of its Photoshop Touch app today at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Sporting a number of core PS features and new tools especially designed for use on tablets, the new release joins the Adobe Touch Apps family with further iPad software expected to drop in the coming months. This mobile version of Photoshop enables users to create layered images from several different photos, make edits, apply pro-style effects, touch up photos and carry out several other essential tasks directly on their Apple slate.
A Scribble Selection Tool makes for easy deletion of unwanted object simply by scribble on what's a keeper and then on what needs to go. Refine Edge technology offers a hand for those tedious soft-edged selections and integration with both Facebook and Google Image Search makes sharing your edits a breeze. The aforementioned upcoming iOS releases include Collage (moodboards), Debut (presenting and reviewing work), Ideas (sketches), Kuler (color exploration) and Proto (web and mobile application prototyping). But for now, you can snag Photoshop Touch for your iOS 5 wielding iPad 2 from the iTunes App Store for $9.99. If you're in search of some more details before taking the leap, hit the full PR below. Continue reading Adobe unveils Photoshop Touch for iPad 2 at MWC, slate-style photo editing for $10 Adobe unveils Photoshop Touch for iPad 2 at MWC, slate-style photo editing for $10 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  If you've been wondering what Adobe had in the works after laying Flash Player for mobile to rest, the wait is over. The outfit has unveiled the codenamed Project Primetime, the "industry's first fully integrated video technology platform" that will offer television-esque viewing sessions across your web-enabled devices. This tech plays nice with all "major" mobile platforms -- including iOS -- as well as desktop operating systems and smart TVs. Touting a workflow that pulls together streaming, content protection, analytics and advertising, the software will allow media providers to offer live and on-demand viewing on a number of internet-friendly devices. The first portion of Adobe's project, "Primetime Highlights," is available today for the iPad and showcases a video editor (pictured above) alongside the Auditude ad platform. Don't fret, though, support other platforms is coming later in the year. While Primetime is on display for the first time at MWC, parts of the new tech will see daylight throughout 2012. If you're looking for some more details, hit the full press release below. Continue reading Adobe announces Project Primetime video platform, Highlights available now for iPad Adobe announces Project Primetime video platform, Highlights available now for iPad originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | HTC may have just announced its highfalutin One family of smartphones in Barcelona, but it's still the year of the Dragon back home -- and the Taiwanese outfit has the slabs to prove it. Meet the "Dragon" series, a trio of 4-inch Android handsets, each sporting a 5 megapixel camera, a 1GHz single-core processor and Beats Audio, all wrapped up in an Ice Cream Sandwich slathered in Sense 4.0A. Although the Dragon series seems a bit like the HTC One V -- albeit with a larger screen -- the outfit says it won't be packing the HTC ImageChip that hopes to give the One series' cameras a wicked performance boost. Sadly, the "Dragon" moniker is a temporary handle, and the three phones are only coming to mainland China. HTC says there are plans to expand the family in the future for international distribution, but for now the handsets are only coming to China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile. HTC to launch "Dragon" series smartphone in mainland China, expand to international markets in the future originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 22:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Engadget Chinese | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | We like to think of HWYC as the counterpoint to IRL, focused on your experiences of using these gadgets on a daily basis. What annoying little issues do you wish the company had ironed out before shipping? Is there anything you like about the device you want to share with people? This week we want your opinions on Samsung's Galaxy Tab 8.9 -- the niche offering for people unable to decide between the 10.1, 7.7 or the 7-inch versions of the same. When we reviewed it, we found it to be virtually indistinguishable to its larger sibling: it was 10 percent smaller and 10 percent cheaper, and that was about it. But is that the whole story? Now you've had a few months to stew over your purchase, how have you found it? If Samsung was hawkishly watching the comments below, what would you say? How would you change it? How would you change the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 22:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Ever notice how often you lose your TV remote, but how rarely lose track of that social lifeline you call a smartphone? So did the folks at Denmark-based Lumigon, that's why they've put their Scandinavian heads together to build the Lumigon T2, a Android 4.0 smartphone that's also a universal remote control. In addition to this handset's 1.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, 9 megapixel rear facing camera and Bang & Olufsen ICEpower sound, this phone's northern lip can copy commands from remote controls and emulate them using on screen buttons or programmable gestures. Above the T2's 3.8-inch Gorilla glass screen is a dual-action "activity button" that can reportedly be programmed to perform any function the phone has to offer -- like activating an LED flashlight, initiating speed-dial or even turning on and off your TV. Sound pretty sweet? Sure it is -- just don't lose it in the couch. The T2 is scheduled to hit select markets in Europe in Asia later this year, hit the break for the official press release. Continue reading Lumigon's T2 smartphone wants to control your TV, obey your commands Lumigon's T2 smartphone wants to control your TV, obey your commands originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 20:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. This week researchers harnessed technology to reap groundbreaking discoveries in the natural world as Inhabitat reported that a team of Russian scientists revived a 32,000-year-old Arctic plant, and a 298-million-year-old-forest was discovered beneath a coal mine in China. Meanwhile Google geared up to launch a "sea view" service that lets anyone explore the Great Barrier Reef and Makerbot launched a line of colorful 3D printed shells for hermit crabs. Scientists also harnessed advanced printing technology to create a new breed of realistic dinosaur robots and a miniature self-assembling robotic bee, and the National academy of Sciences urged a review of the risks and safety of nanomaterials.
Green transportation also soared to astronomical new heights this week as a Japanese company announced plans to build a 20,000-mile-high space elevator by the year 2050. Back on earth, Toyota unveiled the first teaser shots of its upcoming FT-Bh mini hybrid vehicle, a "bricked" Tesla Roadster launched an electric vehicle debate, and we showcased the Taga -- the ultimate bike stroller combo. Green design also hit the slopes as Tenna, Switzerland took the wraps off the world's first solar wing-powered ski lift and William Hughes carved up the snow wearing a blazing bright LED snowboarding suit.
In other news, eco phone design rang loud and clear this week as AT&T announced plans to place green labels on mobile devices, Shikun Sun developed a DrawBraille smartphone for the blind, and a NYC architect turned defunct phone booths into free mini libraries. We were also wowed by several eye-opening recycled designs -- a fully functional twin lens reflex LEGO camera and a series of furnishings made from decommissioned military ammunition. Last but not least, we watched a gigantic solar-powered metal flower bloom in Buenos Aires, Nike created a prosthetic running sole for amputee triathletes, and we shined a light on Takayuki Hori's beautiful X-ray origami animals. Inhabitat's Week in Green: dinosaur robots, a robotic bee and X-ray origami animals originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 20:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | The second of the One. That's another way to describe the HTC One S, the mid-range selection in the Taiwanese company's trio of new devices. Even though it should be considered middle of the road when being compared to a heavy hitter like the One X, it's not hurting for features in the slightest. The S's claim to fame is its scratch-resistant and durable aluminum backing, and adds a highly respectable list of mouth-watering specs to go along with it. Let's have a look-see: 4.3-inch qHD Super AMOLED panel, 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, the same 8MP rear camera found on the One X along with a VGA front-facing cam, a smallish 1,605mAh battery and 42Mbps HSPA+ radios (which will come in handy when it shows up on T-Mobile this spring). We'll touch upon all of our first impressions shortly, but enjoy our full gallery below for now.
Developing...
For full coverage of MWC 2012, head here. HTC One S hands-on at MWC 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 19:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Orange will be the first to offer a Medfield-powered Android phone in Europe. Codenamed Santa Clara, and arriving some time this summer, it looks pretty similar to Intel's reference model -- in both design and specs. The phone totes a 4-inch 600 x 1024 display, with a solid 8-megapixel camera capable of 1080p video and burst capture of up to 10 shots within a second. The Santa Clara (the final name is likely to manifest itself somewhere between now and its eventual release) runs on Intel's Atom Z2460 processor, clocked at 1.6GHz. This should be more than enough to smoothly steer Android Gingerbread, with Orange vowing to bring ICS soon after launch. The device can handle HSPA speeds of 21.1Mbps down and 5.6Mbps up, while HDMI-out is housed within the MHL port. Other features include mobile wallet features through NFC and the likes of Orange's HD voice call and gesture navigation built in. The phone network is also pushing Intel's Medfield processor credentials, with its low power performance of up to 14 days on standby or eight hours of 3G calls. The European carrier has also told us that despite these respectable middleweight specifications, the phone will remain "aggressively priced" -- not dissimilar to its previously town-themed iterations. We hope to get some hands-on time with the device very soon, but until then, you can glean a closer look at the gallery below. Orange announces first Intel-powered Android phone for Europe, codenamed Santa Clara originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 19:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Mobile World Congress has already brought a lot of great phones, and the show floor hasn't even opened yet. But there's just something about Peter Chou's latest creation that has us more eager to play with it than anything else we've seen so far (and perhaps for the rest of the show). We're talking, of course, about the One X, the absolute top of the line model of HTC's trio of One series devices announced tonight. The "superphone" (Peter's words, not ours) is packing the entire deck of cards: a 1.5GHz quad-core Tegra 3 CPU (for the global version; the LTE version uses Qualcomm's S4 Krait processor), 1GB of DDR2 RAM, 4.7 inches of 720p Super LCD 2 non-PenTile gorgeousness, Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC Sense 4.0 on top, 8MP rear camera with f/2.0 lens and 1080p HD video, to name a few.
First impressions? In a nutshell, we're blown away. It feels wonderful to hold in our hand, it's got the full suite of specs we like to see, the camera's as quick as HTC claims, and the device flies -- in fact, we'd be amiss not to mention the fact that the vendor's ICS-backed Sense UI is much lighter than any of its predecessors and doesn't bog down the performance at all. And keep in mind that this is in all likelihood still running on pre-production firmware. Impressive, to say the least. We're not ready to crown the One X as the best of the show yet -- we have four days' worth of MWC left, after all -- but it's one device we'll be returning to spend more quality time with on the show floor. If you want to share in the enjoyment, head to the gallery below, or the video after the break.
Continue reading HTC One X hands-on at MWC 2012 (video) HTC One X hands-on at MWC 2012 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 18:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Mobile World Congress has already brought a lot of great phones already, and the show floor hasn't even opened yet. But there's just something about Peter Chou's latest creation that has us more eager to play with it than anything else we've seen so far (and perhaps for the rest of the show). We're talking, of course, about the One X, the absolute top of the line model of HTC's trio of One series devices announced tonight. The "superphone" (Peter's words, not ours) is packing the entire deck of cards: a 1.5GHz quad-core Tegra 3 CPU (for the global version; the LTE version uses Qualcomm's S4 Krait processor), 1GB of DDR2 RAM, 4.7 inches of 720p Super LCD 2 non-PenTile gorgeousness, Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC Sense 4.0 on top, 8MP rear camera with f/2.0 lens and 1080p HD video, to name a few.
First impressions? In a nutshell, we're blown away. It feels wonderful to hold in our hand, it's got the full suite of specs we like to see, the camera's as quick as HTC claims, and the device flies -- in fact, we'd be amiss not to mention the fact that the vendor's ICS-backed Sense UI is much lighter than any of its predecessors and doesn't bog down the performance at all. And keep in mind that this is in all likelihood still running on pre-production firmware. Impressive, to say the least. We're not ready to crown the One X as the best of the show yet -- we have four days' worth of MWC left, after all -- but it's one device we'll be returning to spend more quality time with on the show floor. If you want to share in the enjoyment, head to the gallery below, or the video after the break.
Continue reading HTC One X hands-on at MWC 2012 (video) HTC One X hands-on at MWC 2012 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 18:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy! Continue reading Refresh Roundup: week of February 20th, 2012 Refresh Roundup: week of February 20th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 17:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | What does a fish look for in a leader? No doubt a nice fishy smell is important, and maybe a sense of direction too, but the overriding factor happens to be something much simpler, and indeed simple enough for a robot to mimic. Our old friend Maurizio Porfiri and a colleague from New York's Polytechnic Institute have shown that a fish-bot will quickly attract live followers if it has a nice, fluid swimming motion. When the stroke is just right, real fish will pull up alongside and visibly relax their own motion to conserve energy, just like geese flying at the rear of a 'vee' formation. It's hoped that, in the future, robots might be used to guide endangered fish populations away from oil spills and other calamities, in much the same way as battery-powered leaders have guided humanity since the dawn of time (allegedly). Continue reading Fish are lazy, naive, easily led by robots (video) Fish are lazy, naive, easily led by robots (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 16:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  PhysOrg | Journal of the Royal Society | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Let's just say we were underwhelmed by the first iteration of HTC Beats on the Sensation XE. But now it looks like the technology has been revamped for the latest One handsets, so -- once we've tasted the pudding -- we might just have to revise that opinion. The new Beats is claimed to make music sound more "authentic," and whereas the previous version could only be activated inside HTC's stock music player, this time it'll work with YouTube, Pandora, Spotify and any other third-party Android app. What exactly will it do with those apps? And will it move beyond its current gimmicky bass-boost status? We'll just have to wait and listen. HTC updates Beats Audio, makes it work with any third-party app originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 16:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | The ViewSonic ViewPhone 4e -- the downmarket sibling of the ViewPhone 4s -- launched at MWC today and unlike the 4s, the 4e was essentially feature complete. This dual SIM set will ship with Android 2.3.x Gingerbread, a 3.5-inch 480 x 320 display, a 3-megapixel camera, and an FM radio. We had a chance to see it in both yellow and a truly garish pink hue and the housings are impressively solid and while they may not come in our favorite colors, they're at least fun. While not as tack sharp as the ViewPhone 4s' IPS display, the 4e looked just fine and the the quick UI tour didn't show any obvious slowdowns or stuttering from its 650Mhz CPU. We're expecting this to launch in Europe before June for about $350.
Zach Honig contributed to this report.Continue reading ViewSonic's ViewPhone 4e hands-on (video) ViewSonic's ViewPhone 4e hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 16:03:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | It's not often that device codenames serve as a direct mission statement, but with the outing of the One V, neé Primo, first-timers are getting an entry level HTC-welcome. The Ice Cream Sandwich-laden handset, running a Sense 3.6 overlay, hearkens back to the design of the Legend, with a black-ish gray, aluminum unibody, hardware keys (three for back, home and apps) and prominent chin jutting out below its Gorilla Glass-coated, 3.7-inch WVGA LCD display. The company hasn't specified the exact CPU powering the phone, but we do know it's a 1GHz single-core affair buffered by 512MB RAM. Storage-wise, you're looking at a paltry 4GB onboard with plans to augment that capacity via 25GB of Dropbox, as there's no available microSD slot. Beneath its sealed enclosure lies a 1,500mAh battery, quadband GSM and WCDMA radios, in addition to support for GPS, WiFi and Bluetooth. Directly benefiting from the manufacturer's recently announced ImageChip, is its 5 megapixel rear shooter, outfitted with an AF f/2.0 lens and capable of recording 720p video. There's no front-facing camera to be found on the unit, although situated as it is on the lower end of the consumer spectrum, that's to be expected. Check after the break for HTC's video preview. Continue reading HTC One V unveiled: Sense 3.6 on ICS, Beats audio, 3.7-inch WVGA LCD HTC One V unveiled: Sense 3.6 on ICS, Beats audio, 3.7-inch WVGA LCD originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 15:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | See HTC's new superstar handset the One S earlier during our MWC 2012 liveblog and want one for your very own? Well, we've got some good news for you T-Mobile aficionados, as the One S will be coming to the magenta-clad masses before anyone else. That means you'll be able to enjoy its super-slim profile, prodigious Snapdragon S4 computing power and ICS with Sense 4 on T-Mo's blazing HSPA+ 42Mbps network before your friends on Ma Bell, Big Red, or the Now Network. Unfortunately, we can't neither tell you exactly when you can get your hands on one, nor how much it'll cost to do so, but we do know it'll be on sale this spring. T-Mobile gets the HTC One S first in the US, coming this spring originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 15:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  HTC's new phone appears to be its middle-weight offering, but it's still with a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED display and a new dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 S4 (MSM8260A) inside set to do the heavy-lifting. Previously known to leak fans as the Ville, HTC's brought Ice Cream Sandwich to the fold, alongside the very latest version of its Sense UI -- 4.0 to match that Android version number. The highlight here appears to be that uniformly thin alloy unibody; in science terms, it's a plasma-heated micro arc oxidation process, giving HTC's typical aluminum frame a smooth ceramic finish and apparently toughening it up in the process. Camera-wise, it's wielding a potent eight megapixel sensor with HTC's very own ImageChip and a f/2.0 autofocus lens that's likely to blow all of its previous camera modules out of the water. HTC has focused on the camera software too -- the One S apparently capable of nabbing shots in under a second and the ability to capture full-size stills during 1080p recording. All this, and it's a mere 7.9mm thick. We'll be hunting down a model for a hands-on as soon as we're finished here. Expect to see our impressions very soon, check HTC's video preview after the break now. Continue reading HTC unveils One S, arrives with dual-core power, engineered metal finish HTC unveils One S, arrives with dual-core power, engineered metal finish originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 15:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  HTC's new phone appears to be its middle-weight offering, but it's still with a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED display and a dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S3 inside set to do the heavy-lifting. Previously known to leak fans as the Ville, HTC's brought Ice Cream Sandwich to the fold, alongside the very latest version of its Sense UI -- 4.0 to match that Android version number. The highlight here appears to be that uniformly thin alloy unibody; in science terms, it's a plasma-heated micro arc oxidation process, giving HTC's typical aluminum frame a smooth ceramic finish and apparently toughening it up in the process. Camera-wise, it's wielding a potent eight megapixel sensor with HTC's very own ImageChip and a f/2.0 autofocus lens that's likely to blow all of its previous camera modules out of the water. HTC has focused on the camera software too -- the One S apparently capable of nabbing shots in under a second and the ability to capture full-size stills during 1080p recording. All this, and it's a mere 7.9mm thick. We'll be hunting down a model for a hands-on as soon as we're finished here. Expect to see our impressions very soon, check HTC's video preview after the break now. Continue reading HTC unveils One S, arrives with dual-core power, engineered metal finish HTC unveils One S, arrives with dual-core power, engineered metal finish originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 15:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Just frothy thinking about HTC's recently unveiled superphone, the One X? Well, for those of you that call the US home, outside of importing HTC's latest, you're going to have only one network choice, and that's AT&T. Unlike the global Tegra 3 version announced today, Uncle Sam's variant swaps out that quad-core goodness for an LTE radio paired with a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 by Qualcomm. It also makes the first occasion a Beats by Dr. Dre-powered handset makes an appearance on the carrier. Other then that, you're looking at the same gorgeous 4.7-inch 1280 x 720 HD screen, 8-megapixel shooter and Sense 4 running atop Ice Cream Sandwich. As for when it'll land? The duo's playing coy, only mentioning it'll come in the "coming months." Stay tuned for a hands-on. Continue reading HTC One X exclusive to AT&T in the US, brings LTE, Beats, ICS and Sense 4 to Ma Bell HTC One X exclusive to AT&T in the US, brings LTE, Beats, ICS and Sense 4 to Ma Bell originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 15:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | We're not even at the devices yet, but HTC CEO Peter Chou is very excited about the camera sensor inside that mysterious phone. The modul packs a f/2.0 camera lens, while the company's been busy crafting its own image chip to complement it, called the HTC, er, ImageChip to help clarify low-lit pictures and ensure a capture speed of under a second -- 0.7 seconds from starting the camera app, in fact. It also has the tantalizing ability to shoot pictures while recording continuous focus 1080p video. Add in a new LED flash that has five different levels of brightness control and as you might be able to guess, we really want to see these phones -- now. HTC unveils One series camera upgrade, gets dedicated chip, f/2.0 lens, 0.7-second capture originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 15:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | We've not even seen the devices yet, but HTC CEO Peter Chou is very excited about the camera sensor inside his mysterious new phones. The module packs a f/2.0 camera lens, while the company's been busy crafting its own image sensor put behind it, called the HTC, er, "ImageChip." It'll help to clarify low-lit pictures and ensure a capture speed of under a second -- 0.7 seconds from starting up the camera app, in fact. It also has the tantalizing ability to shoot pictures while recording continuous-focus 1080p video. Add in a new LED flash that has five different levels of brightness control and as you might be able to guess, we really want to see these phones -- now. HTC unveils One series camera upgrade, gets dedicated chip, f/2.0 lens, 0.7-second capture originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 15:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | HTC's launched a new flagship handset for Mobile World Congress 2012, the HTC One X -- codenamed Endeavour. Dipping into design notes from The Nokia Lumia line, the One X is a unibody device machined from white polycarbonate that uses Gorilla Glass to protect its 4.7-inch 1280x720 non-pentile Super LCD 2 display. Stunning outside appearances aside, HTC's newest features an NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor for the Global edition and a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core for the LTE iteration. Memory specs on the box show 1GB DDR2 and 32GB of built-in storage -- 26GB of which is available to the user -- and an additional 25GB free for two years through DropBox. Connectivity options abound with quad-band GSM and quad-band 42Mbps HSPA+ -- which includes AWS frequencies, huzzah! At the heart of its 8MP f/2.0 camera section is HTC's ImageChip silicon for clearer shots even in low light conditions and the ability to shoot pictures while recording continuous focus 1080p video. Rounding out the new set's photographic prowess is a unique LED flash with support for 5 levels of automatic brightness control and a front facing 1.3 megapixel number that'll sort your 720p HD needs. All things considered we'd say HTC has likely knocked it out of the park with this Engadget specced device, the only thing some might possibly nitpick would be that the 1800mAh battery nestled in the housing is never coming out nor will you find a spot to pop an additional memory card in. We'll be back as quick as we can with some detailed hands-on details, pics, and video. HTC One X announced at MWC 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 15:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | More news coming out of HTC's camp in Barcelona. The firm shared promise rings with Dropbox a few months ago, offering 5GB total storage capacity on its Sense 3.5 devices, and now the two companies are ready to take the next step in their commitment with ICS-backed version 4.0. This time they're integrating the cloud service directly into its OS and are offering five times the storage (and arguably five times the fun) for free, up to a grand total of 25GB -- in addition to the amount you already have in your account -- for the course of two years. That's great, but we're rooting for the relationship to last longer than "til end of contract do us part." HTC adds even more Dropbox support in Sense 4.0, storage upped to 25GB originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 15:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Shearing clippers, meet HTC's Android device portfolio. It appears UK head Phil Roberson wasn't just blowing the proverbial smoke this past January when he stated intentions to tighten up the manufacturer's portfolio with fewer releases focused on "amazing hardware" experiences. At today's MWC keynote the company announced an initiative that'll quite literally institute a One product line to rule them all ethos. Functioning much like Samsung's Galaxy series does, all smartphones and tablets that fall under the 'One' brand umbrella will showcase an attention to three distinct areas of detail: top-notch imaging, integrated Beats audio and industrial design. And, unlike the divisive monikers that often results from heavy-handed carrier intervention, the 130 operators already on board for the OEM's newborn products will retain that streamlined naming convention. No word yet on whether the outfit intends to group its Windows Phone array under this same tree or if that'll warrant an entirely new family itself. HTC debuts One brand at MWC 2012, unifies Android device lineup originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 15:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Shearing clippers meet HTC's Android device portfolio. It appears UK head Phil Roberson wasn't just blowing the proverbial smoke this past January when he stated intentions to tighten up the manufacturer's portfolio with fewer releases focused on "amazing hardware" experiences. At today's MWC keynote the company announced an initiative that'll quite literally institute a One product line to rule them all ethos. Functioning much like Samsung's Galaxy series does, all smartphones and tablets that fall under the 'One' brand umbrella will showcase an attention to three distinct areas of detail: top-notch imaging, integrated Beats audio and industrial design. And, unlike the divisive monikers that often results from heavy-handed carrier intervention, the 130 operators already on board for the OEM's newborn products will retain that streamlined naming convention. No word yet on whether the outfit intends to group its Windows Phone array under this same tree or if that'll warrant an entirely new family itself. HTC debuts One brand at MWC 2012, unifies Android device lineup originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 15:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Without revealing the rhyme or reason behind its seemingly arbitrary Xperia naming convention, Sony's newly minted Mobile Communications arm unveiled its middle ground NXT series entry, the P, at this evening's MWC event. Occupying a space firmly between the S and U, this 4-inch handset boasts a company first -- that WhiteMagic display tech -- while incorporating the better known hardware elements of its older stablemate. With that signature aluminum unibody design, transparent bar and NFC-capabilities, this Android handset is poised to usher a whole new crop of smartphone users into the company's wireless folds. We spent some up close and personal time with the unit, so click on past the break to see whether this phone suffers from middle child syndrome or truly shines on its own.
Developing...Sony Xperia P hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 14:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Are you endeavoring to see the latest and greatest out of Taiwan? So are we, and we have a couple seats to watch Peter Chou excite us with some fancy new stuff on stage. That doesn't mean, however, that you won't be able to come along for the ride. Our liveblog of HTC's Mobile World Congress press conference is about to begin, so keep your eyes locked here!
February 26, 2012 2:30 PM ESTLive from the HTC press conference at MWC 2012! originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 14:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Sony certainly didn't pull out the big guns today at its Mobile World Congress 2012 keynote -- those showstoppers were for CES. Instead, the electronics giant decided to trot out two new, mid-to-low end additions to its NXT line of handsets, a portfolio that previously claimed the ion and S as its sole occupants. Focused on delivering a handset for every price point, the ill-concealed Xperia U, formerly known by its cheeky Kumquat codename, combines a compact, idiosyncratic design with user experience flourishes to add value and a higher profile to an otherwise ground floor device. We got to spend some brief time with the handset, so join us after the break as we share our first impressions. Continue reading Sony Xperia U hands-on Sony Xperia U hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 14:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Those of you that have been waiting to get your grubby paws on Sony's Xperia S are in luck, as Sony just confirmed during its keynote that it's started shipping globally, with the first units available at Sony's Barcelona store during MWC. Those with stellar memory will recall that's more concrete than its former Q1 suggestion. To recap, those taking the plunge will be privy to a 1280 x 720 4.3-inch display, a 1.5GHz CPU, 1GB of RAM and a 12-megapixel camera all wrapped in a gorgeous shell -- albeit one that runs Gingerbread, with an Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade in due course. Additionally the electronics giant also confirmed the Xperia Ion will also be available in globally, however those interested will have to wait until summer. It too, totes Gingerbread and a 12-megapixel sensor, but plays host to a larger 4.6-inch display (albeit at the same resolution as the S), a presumably faster dual-core 1.5GHz CPU and delectable LTE. If either strikes your fancy, we humbly suggest our pair of hands-ons from CES -- at least if neither the freshly unveiled Xperia U or P are to your liking. Sony Xperia S now shipping, Ion to join the world tour come summer originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 14:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Yes it's the LG Optimus Vu, and we got a chance to play with it! The verdict? It's quite lovely. The design is simple but attractive, and the build quality / materials are impressive. There's no doubt this is a thin and wide device -- just like the Samsung Galaxy Note, two hands are the name of the game here. Is it a phone or a tablet? Tae a look at our gallery below and judge for yourself. We'll have more impressions and a hands-on video for you soon.
LG Optimus Vu hands-on at MWC 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 26 Feb 2012 13:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | |  | |  |
